The biggest news for business continues to come from outside the business realm: first the war in Iraq, and now the outbreak of the so-called SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) virus.

FORBES: Through It All

The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-03 suggested a wider exposure zone, however.

WSJ: Where Germs Lurk on Planes

At the time, both sectors had been hit by the effects of the war in Iraq, a so-so economy and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. The latter, a viral illness first reported in Asia, was blamed for 774 deaths in 2003 and whipped up fears that aircraft cabins were prone to contagion.

FORBES: Aerospace And Defense? Fly Commercial