April 11, 2003

BEIJING, April 11 - A top Chinese epidemiologist Friday strongly disputed government claims that SARS was under control, as 24 new cases were detected in southern Guangdong province where the disease likely originated.

Zhong Nanshan, director of the Guangzhou Respiratory Disease Research Institute who has been at the forefront of China's battle with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, said the central government's long held view was not objective and lacked medical analysis.

"In China (on Wednesday) there were 1,290 cases, of which in Guangdong there were 1,213 cases," Zhong told journalists, referring to official government statistics.

"But actually recent news I got yesterday from Guangdong was the number has risen to 1,237. In (the provincial capital of) Guangzhou alone the figure went up yesterday by seven new cases.

"So from looking at this from a medical point of view, this disease has not been effectively controlled at all, including in Hong Kong.

"The origin of this disease is still not clear, so how can you say it has been controlled?"

The disease was first discovered in Guangdong's Foshan city in mid-November, with the overwhelming proportion of the 3,000 or so cases worldwide occurring in the province that neighbors Hong Kong where 999 people have been infected with 31 fatalities.

Since China's first public statements on the epidemic on February 9 -- when it was announced that 305 people were infected and five had died -- the government has insisted that the spread of the disease was "effectively controlled."

"We can't use this word control," Zhong said, "I think we need to be more objective and a better way is to say that the disease has been effectively contained.

"This is my own view, I have nothing to do with what the central government calls this."

China has been criticised internationally for not promptly and openly addressing the epidemic, with the government appearing more concerned about minimizing the impact on the booming tourism industry and lucrative trade and investment links with the rest of the world.

Since first saying the disease had been controlled, the numbers of those infected in China has grown by 4.3 times, while the fatalities has gone up 11 fold.

Zhong Friday only announced new numbers from Guangdong province where 44 people have died of SARS. No new figures were issued by the central government.

However, the numbers of non-Chinese nationals being infected in China appeared to grow, with the government announcing people from Finland, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have come down with SARS in Beijing alone.

Of these one has died -- the previously reported fatality of Pekka Aro, a 53-year-old Finnish official with the International Labor Organization.

The Canadian embassy has said one of its nationals is infected but is recovering.

The China Daily identified another two as from Hong Kong and Macau, while top health ministry official Qi Xiaoqiu said a Taiwanese couple were also being treated.

China has acknowledged at least three other foreigners have been infected around the country.

Two Chinese Canadians were treated in southern Guangzhou city and have since been released.

American teacher James Salisbury died in Hong Kong Wednesday hours after being transferred from a hospital in Shenzhen, a Chinese city bordering the former British colony.

Authorities in Beijing meanwhile pledged free medical help to SARS patients who cannot afford the expenses and said they will fly out any foreigner who refuses treatment.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cl/Qhealth-pneumonia-china.RKcq_DAB.html