SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] penetrated China in spring of 2003, created havoc in the social society, exposed weaknesses within the political system and pushed the nation towards a crisis of confidence. At the same time the crisis revitalised the Party's position, brought people from different social stratum together and had a beneficial impact on the populace's knowledge on health related issues.What makes the SARS crisis in China interesting for further and deeper investigation is the method it chose to respond to its national crisis. They plan of response was indeed a retrogression back to "older" times, using methods and propaganda very much like those used during Mao Zedong and later Deng Xiaoping. The first step of response was denial and cover up of the real situation, which quickly turned to unprecedented transparency, as the magnitude of SARS became known. The Party and the government were quick to proclaim themselves as the bearer of the key knowledge and information on how to best fight the disease, this in sharp contrast to the political trend of more co-operation between the private and public sector and political transparency.

Hundrasen Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (Tollare), en apporterande ras med ursprung i Kanada, var i början på 1900-talet nära att utrotas på grund av två Epidemier av valpsjuka som härjade i landet. I dag har rasen rapporterats vara predisponerad för vissa immunmedierade sjukdomar däribland s.k. tollarsjuka. Tollarsjuka används i dagligt tal och är egentligen ett samlingsbegrepp för två olika immunmedierade sjukdomar: en SLE (systemisk lupus erythematosus)-liknande reumatisk sjukdom samt en aseptisk meningit. Vid den reumatismliknande sjukdomen ses stelhet i leder och vandrande hälta som går i skov.