China and France are planning to set up a satellite-based
positioning system to monitor how viruses such as SARS
"travel" in the atmosphere, scientists said this week. The Pasteur
Institute of Shanghai, which specializes in biomedical research,
will provide a task force for the project.
It also plans to coordinate with various Chinese government
sectors and institutes to establish the country's first such
supervision network.
That includes the Ministry of Agriculture and the Resource
Satellite Application Center.
Vincent Deubel, director of the Pasteur Institute of Shanghai,
was quoted by Wenhui Daily on Tuesday as saying: "We hope to
set up a Shanghai-based supervision network to monitor the movement
of infectious diseases within China.
"This network will greatly improve public health in prevention
of all kinds of infectious diseases," he said.
One institute researcher said since infectious viruses always
move in the atmosphere and clouds, satellite-based research will
help pinpoint their location and prevent the communication of
viruses in advance.
Deubel said after scientists acquire information concerning
climate and geology in different areas of the country, they can
analyze trends in how viruses infect people and animals.
Then they will complete a prevention report to the central
government to take preventive measures, if needed, he added.
Deubel said the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, the city government and two French
companies may invest in the project.
Officials of the institute yesterday declined to release
detailed information, saying "it is still on the way." They also
declined to comment on the cost of the project.
Chen Zhu, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was
quoted by Wenhui Daily on Tuesday as saying: "This
prevention network is one of the hottest fields of study in global
research."
The Pasteur Institute of Shanghai is not for profit and was
co-established last year by CAS, the municipal government and
Paris-based Institute Pasteur.
(Shanghai Daily June 19, 2005)