The emergence of a new virus in central
China has brought back painful memories of another virulent respiratory disease that wreaked worldwide havoc and left the country's health authorities struggling to rebuild public trust.
Now, nearly 17 years later, government officials insist they have learned from past mistakes as they try to contain the latest deadly viral pneumonia strain, which has infected 440 people, mostly in Wuhan city, and killed nine since it was first identified at the end of last month.
Liu Heng, an adviser to China's cabinet said it took the country about four or five months to announce the SARS outbreak to the public, and this time it had taken less than a month.