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WHO reaches virus epicenter
BEIJING, China -- A team of World Health Organization investigators has arrived in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, the place where a deadly atypical pneumonia virus is believed to have originated. Caving into growing international pressure, China allowed the four-member team to visit the apparent center of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, but WHO officials say they are still to negotiate the visit of hospitals with local authorities. China, which has been criticized for dragging its feet in allowing a WHO probe and being secretive in its announcing of SARS cases, has reported more than half of all global deaths and cases. WHO, citing China's latest figures, says the atypical pneumonia had killed 46 people and infected 1,190 in China by Wednesday. Government officials also revealed the virus had spread to other regions on the mainland but Chinese Health Minister Zhang Wenkang stressed the outbreak was "under effective control." With no medical cure to treat the disease, the WHO hopes Guangdong will yield valuable clues as to the exact nature of the virus. Worldwide, there have been 79 deaths and more than 2,200 SARS cases in 16 countries, as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to WHO figures. (Worry in the U.S.) The virus first surfaced in Guangdong last November before jumping to Hong Kong and then on to other countries including Australia, France and Canada. Travel warningOutside of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has been the hardest hit with 17 deaths and over 730 SARS cases. On Thursday the territory reported 26 new cases and said a 56-year-old man had died. Earlier in the week the territory recorded 80 new cases in one day as hundreds fell sick in a residential block. Authorities opened four holiday camps to serve as quarantine centers for about 300 residents. The rapid spread of the virus beyond the original clusters in Hong Kong, contributed to the WHO alert, which advised travelers to postpone non-essential trips to the former British colony and Guangdong. The WHO said there was a "pattern of transmission" of SARS in Hong Kong that was "different from what is being seen in the vast majority of other SARS outbreaks, and is not yet fully understood." This suggests the spread of the virus might be affected by the environment, such as water or sewage systems, rather than just by droplets carried in the air through coughing or sneezing. Dozens of flights into and out of Hong Kong have been cancelled, with serious implications for the territory's already recession-hit economy. (SARS impact | Travel warnings and flight cuts) Schools in Hong Kong were shut last week and are to remain shut until April 21, the government announced on Thursday. In other developments:• The U.S. State Department is granting "authorized departure" for nonessential diplomats and their families in China due to the SARS scare. Under authorized departure status, the diplomats and their families are given free flights out of the country. • Thailand has announced it will quarantine entire planeloads of visitors from high-risk countries for 14 days if anyone on board was found with symptoms of the deadly flu-like SARS virus.(Thailand gets tough) • China's ambassador to New Zealand said the decision to turn away a Chinese delegation from a New Zealand conference because of fears they might have the deadly flu-like virus risked damaging bilateral relations. • Canadian health officials warned a fresh bout of SARS cases may surface in Ontario later this week as a 10-day incubation period for the virus passes. • Vietnam, one of the first areas to report cases of the mystery disease, has not recorded any infections for over a week although health officials there and the WHO remain on alert for new cases. • Australia advised citizens not to travel to Canada or affected Asian countries, while the United States planned to cut its diplomatic presence in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong. • In Malaysia, a post-mortem was due to be carried out on the body of 65-year-old man who died last week after returning from China where he developed a high fever. If he did die from SARS it would be Malaysia's first death from the virus. Kuala Lumpur also ordered a freeze on imported labor from affected countries, according to a Reuters report. • Neighboring Singapore has kept schools closed and quarantined hundreds of residents in a bid to halt the spread of the disease. Almost 100 people have been infected with the disease in the city-state and four people have died. The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.
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