In The News

WHO Says Mainland Officials Continue to Hinder Investigation

Leu Siew Ying April 1, 2003
The World Health Organization says that officials investigating the origin of the devastating pneumonia outbreak in Asia are still being denied permission to travel to southern China's Guangdong province, where the illness is suspected to have originated. With over 800 reported cases in the area – the largest number yet in any WHO member country – international health officials are...

SARS Virus Begins to Take Toll on Global Economy

Jacqueline Thorpe March 31, 2003
Fears over the war in Iraq, aftereffects of September 11th, 2001 and high rates of unemployment in the US have already taken their toll on the global economy. Making matters worse, the recent outbreak of the SARS virus, an acute respiratory illness, is hitting hard at an already struggling travel industry. SARS has kept people at home in the worst-affected Asian countries. In Hong Kong, for...

China Raises Tally of Cases and Deaths in Mystery Illness

Elisabeth Rosenthal March 27, 2003
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...

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

Lawrence K. Altman March 26, 2003
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...

Mainland Professor Who Died in Hong Kong Spread Mysterious Form of Pneumonia

Helen Luk March 20, 2003
A mysterious pneumonia-like disease, which has now infected and killed hundreds of people in several countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, and Canada, has been traced back to a medical professor from mainland China who carried the disease with him when he stayed at a Hong Kong hotel. Among those he infected were foreign guests suspected of then carrying the disease to the other countries....

Mystery Illness Highlights Taiwan's Health Isolation

Melody Chen March 18, 2003
An outbreak of a mysterious flu-like illness in several Asian countries has prompted international coordination to identify and contain the spread of the condition. But although Taiwan has reported three cases of the 'SARS' problem to the World Health Organization, Taiwan is disadvantaged in attacking the problem because it is not a WHO member. "We can't quickly know how...

Asian Airports Screen Passengers for Flu-like Symptoms

March 17, 2003
The World Health Organization has issued a worldwide health threat after an outbreak of flu-like symptoms among travelers in Asia killed 9 people and infected hundreds. According to the WHO health alert, airline passengers could be spreading a “mysterious illness,” which has resulted in governments in several Asian countries to strictly monitor air travel and contain further spread of the...