WHO warns of SARS resurgence, urges vigilance ( 2003-09-08 15:15) (Agencies)
The head of the World Health Organisation warned health specialists on Monday
of a possible resurgence of the deadly SARS virus later this year and urged
countries to boost surveillance to contain the threat.
"None of us can predict what will happen later this year. Will SARS come back
or not?" director-general Lee Jong-wook told a five-day WHO regional committee
meeting in Manila.
"We have to prepare on the assumption that this will come back. Our challenge
now is to enhance surveillance networks that will detect and deal with SARS if
it does come back," Lee said in his opening address.
Other officials said flu cases reported recently in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and the
Canadian city of Vancouver turned out not to be associated with SARS (Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
"We are certain that the human-to-human transmission of the virus stopped in
July and it hasn't come back yet. But the virus is still out there," said Peter
Cordingley, WHO's head of public information in the Western Pacific region.
"We think it's quite likely lurking in the wild animal population in southern
China. There's absolutely no guarantee that it won't jump the species barrier
again and come back."
SARS, which is believed to have jumped from animals to humans in southern
China late last year, has killed more than 800 people worldwide. It infected a
total of about 8,500 people, trimmed economic growth forecasts and cost billions
of dollars in lost business.
Cordingley said WHO was not sure whether SARS was a disease confined to
winter months.