China Raises Tally of Cases and Deaths in Mystery Illness

The mysterious pneumonia known as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) that has been plaguing much of Asia has claimed more lives than previously thought. Yesterday China told officials with the World Health Organization that its total cases of SARS number almost 800, with an estimated 31 deaths. Apparently the disease has turned up in Beijing – thousands of miles north of Guangdong province, the only area where government officials had previously acknowledged SARS cases. China's reluctance to divulge details on deaths and infection rates has been frustrating WHO investigators, but if the release of these latest figures represents a change in attitude by the Chinese government, the global effort to combat and contain SARS has just received a powerful booster shot. – YaleGlobal