China Bars W.H.O. Experts from Origin Site of Illness

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has now appeared in thirteen countries, with at least 487 known cases of infection. It is believed to have originated in China’s Guandong province, but Chinese officials are preventing World Health Organization (WHO) teams from investigating. There has thus been no independent verification of the number of SARS cases in China, whether cases have occurred elsewhere in China, or whether the transmission has stopped. Experts suspect there are more SARS cases in China than have been reported. And while Chinese health officials have been playing down the seriousness of the breakout, WHO epidemiologists and health officials are concerned by the rising number of SARS cases in Hong Kong, which indicates it has not yet been contained. – YaleGlobal