SARS: Are We Ready?

The 27-year-old doctoral student who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Singapore last week was probably a one-off case, according to Singaporean officials, possibly caused by an accident in the disease-research lab where he worked. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the case was "not an international public-health concern." But Singapore's stock market dropped 2.6% in a day, temperature checks at various airports were revved up, and the region got an early warning that SARS could make a comeback.

Is Asia prepared for another epidemic? The news on some fronts is heartening. Airports have invested...