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Outbreak In Saudi Arabia Echoes SARS Epidemic 10 Years Ago

Saudi men walk to the King Fahad hospital in the city of Hofuf on Sunday. In eastern Saudi Arabia, where outbreaks of the MERS virus have been concentrated, people have resumed their habits of shaking hands and kissing. Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Outbreak In Saudi Arabia Echoes SARS Epidemic 10 Years Ago

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome emerged a year ago in Saudi Arabia, although the world didn't find out about it until September, when researchers said it was caused by a previously unknown virus that's in the same family as SARS.

When New Diseases Emerge, Experts Are Faster On The Uptake

A railway worker wearing protective clothing to ward off the SARS virus controls a line of travelers as they wait to enter Beijing's West Railway Station Tuesday in 2003. Greg Baker/AP hide caption

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Greg Baker/AP

Shots - Health News

When New Diseases Emerge, Experts Are Faster On The Uptake

Public health experts have gotten better at detecting new diseases and figuring out their cause since the SARS outbreak nearly 10 years ago. Advances in communications and genetics mean information about new microbes is more accessible.

When New Diseases Emerge, Experts Are Faster On The Uptake

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