The SARS pandemic, which emerged in Asia in 2003, spread rapidly to thirty countries before subsiding within three months, thanks to drastic prevention and control measures. In France, the response implemented as soon as the international alert was issued included centralized epidemiological surveillance at the InVS. Any suspected case of SARS must be reported to the InVS and placed in strict isolation. Medical and epidemiological monitoring allows cases to be classified as excluded or probable. Contacts of probable cases were quarantined at home for 10 days and monitored daily. In total, 437 possible SARS cases were reported between March and July 2003. Seven probable cases were identified, including one fatality, and 77 contacts were monitored. No secondary transmission was identified. Following this outbreak, we interviewed clinicians and epidemiologists responsible for monitoring cases and contacts about their experiences regarding infectious risk and the management of reports. Ethical reflection on isolation and quarantine appears necessary, as does better preparedness for emerging infectious risks, particularly by strengthening our capabilities for early warning, biological diagnosis, and investigation, by improving patient care, and by developing operational research. (R.A.)