Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RealMuLan who wrote (34287)	5/24/2003 12:50:36 AM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

WHO lifts Sars alerts in HK and Guangdong By Joe Leahy in Hong Kong and Clive Cookson in London Published: May 23 2003 12:29 \| Last Updated: May 23 2003 19:51 The World Health Organisation on Friday lifted its Sars travel alert on Hong Kong and China's Guangdong province, opening the way for a campaign to revive the region's battered economy. At the same time scientists in Hong Kong and China announced that they had found signs of Sars infection in three carnivorous species obtained from wild animal markets in Guangdong. WHO officials said the "exciting discovery" showed the disease probably originated in the preparation of such animals for human consumption in southern China, where they are considered a delicacy - but more research will be needed to establish the ultimate animal "reservoir" for the virus. "We should treasure what we have achieved," Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's chief executive, said on the lifting of the travel advisory. But he said Hong Kong now needed to "redouble" its efforts to have itself removed from the WHO's list of infected areas. Hong Kong has been hit hard by the travel alert, with businessmen and tourists avoiding the territory for fear of catching the disease. Occupancy rates in the city's hotels are only 15 per cent while airlines are reporting passenger numbers about a quarter of usual levels. Economists say Sars has also begun to affect southern China's vast manufacturing hinterland in Guangdong, with some estimating orders from foreign customers are down by 10-15 per cent. Signs are emerging that the disease has been contained, however. Hong Kong reported only two new cases of Sars yesterday, bringing its total number of cases to 1,724 with 260 deaths. China, meanwhile, reported only 20 new infections, bringing its total to 5,285 cases and 303 deaths. Worldwide there have been 8,113 infections and 688 deaths. The WHO said Hong Kong and Guangdong had met the minimum conditions for the removal of the travel alert, which include an average daily number of new infections of below five per day over three days, and fewer than 60 active cases in hospital. The end of the alert sparked relief in Hong Kong. But while business travel was expected to recover more quickly, most tourist industry operators warned it would take months for the sector to make a full comeback. Mark Lettenbichler, chairman of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, said the territory's travel industry was planning to launch a mass campaign to attract tourists back to the city once Hong Kong was removed from the infected areas list. Scientists found live Sars virus in six civet cats and one raccoon dog obtained from wild animal markets in Guangdong; they also found antibodies against the virus in a ferret badger. "The virus was almost identical to human Sars virus," said François Meslin, who co-ordinates animal disease research at WHO headquarters in Geneva. "We cannot say whether these wild animals represent reservoir species or part of the chain of infection," said Dr Meslin. "But in terms of controlling Sars - and stopping it reappearing - we have to stop the trade and consumption of these animals." Th evidence seems to confirm speculation that the disease originated from Guangdong's exotic wildlife food trade, particularly as chefs and food handlers were over-represented among Chinese Sars patients. Although cooked meat is probably safe, people are likely to have been infected while raising, killing or preparing the animals. The WHO has also announced an effort to win funding for anti-Sars efforts and for new disease surveillance and public health laboratory facilities in China and nearby countries, saying it hopes to raise $100m (€85m) from businesses by September. It will seek to raise a further $100m from governments to improve disease response systems around the world.