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New SARS outbreak fears
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- As the global death toll from the mystery SARS virus pushed past 100, there are fears of a new outbreak at a housing estate in Hong Kong. Hong Kong, which has been the region hardest hit by SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outside of the Chinese mainland, reported 45 more infections and two deaths on Tuesday. SARS has infected at least 928 people in Hong Kong, killing 25, out of a total of more than 2,600 cases worldwide that have claimed at least 104 deaths. Hong Kong authorities were closely monitoring 30 cases of the mystery illness at a Kowloon Bay housing estate near the infected Amoy Gardens complex. According to health officials there were 30 cases of SARS at the Lower Ngau Tau Kok apartments, which house around 10,000 residents. The Amoy Gardens apartments have recorded at least 283 cases of SARS. One building in the complex accounted for more than half of those cases and was evacuated last week. Around 240 residents were sent for 10 days to makeshift quarantine centers. The quarantine period expires on Wednesday but many Amoy Gardens tenants have expressed fears that their homes remain unsafe. The Lower Ngau Tau Kok cases have prompted authorities to add cockroaches to the list of suspected spreaders of the disease. Cats, rats and leaky sewage systems are also under investigation. Across the border in China, the government was accused Wednesday by doctors of continuing to under-report the number of SARS cases. Beijing has already been under fire for covering up the severity of a SARS outbreak in the southern province of Guangdong. SARS cases first developed there last November but were only reported in February. Bowing to international pressure, China admitted there were more cases than it initially acknowledged and is providing daily updates. The government also maintains the outbreak is under control. However, in a letter sent to journalists, a Chinese military doctor said six people had died of SARS and 60 had been infected at a military-run hospital in Beijing. Several doctors said epidemic wards at several hospitals were full with suspected SARS patients and one hospital was forced to shut its door to outpatients for a week, the Reuters news agency reported. The letter from Jiang Yanyong said many health workers were angry when Health Minister Zhang Wenkang told a news conference last Thursday that Beijing had only 12 cases, of whom three died. "A failure to disclose accurate statistics about the illness will only lead to more deaths," Jiang was quoted as saying by Time Magazine. Beijing has reported a total of 19 cases and four deaths out of 1,279 infections and 53 deaths nationwide, most of those in Guangdong. In other developments:
• Dr David Heymann of the World Health Organization told a U.S. Senate committee on Monday the epidemic could have been controlled if Chinese authorities had asked for help in November. • The WHO will release details of its investigation in Guangdong on Wednesday. • In Canada, Chinese-Canadians reported they were being discriminated against by those in fear of the virus. At least 226 people have been infected there, with 10 reported SARS deaths. • The Roman Catholic church in Singapore has suspended confessions due to the SARS spread. The city-state has the world's fourth highest number of confirmed cases and nine deaths. The military is now being used to help fight the spread of the disease while Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said SARS would hit economic growth by up to one percent. (Military call-up) • The SARS outbreak continued to hit the travel and tourism industry. Australian carrier Qantas announced on Wednesday it would shed 1,400 staff due to a fall in passenger numbers from both the war in Iraq and the SARS disease. (Qantas cuts) • A 62-year-old South African man is being treated at a Pretoria hospital as a "probable SARS" case, according to officials involved in the case. (Full story) • Malaysia has stopped issuing entry visas to most Chinese travelers to curb SARS, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Malaysia has reported one fatal case of the illness. • Taiwan has again hit out at the WHO's failure to allow experts monitor the SARS outbreak on the island. The WHO, like the U.N., does not recognize the island. Taipei also criticized Beijing for not allowing the WHO to work with Taiwanese authorities. Taiwan argues a lack of assistance has hindered efforts to control the virus there. There were 20 suspected SARS cases in Taiwan as of Wednesday but no deaths have been recorded.
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