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SLUG: 2-301345 CQ China / Asian Pneumonia (S-O)
DATE:
NOTE NUMBER:

DATE=3/26/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CQ CHINA / ASIAN PNEUMONIA (S-O)

NUMBER=2-301345

BYLINE=DAVID McALARY

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

///EDS: REISSUED. CHANGES "GUANGDONG" TO "CHINA" IN SECOND GRAF. OF TEXT. NO OTHER CHANGES. ///

INTRO: The World Health Organization confirms that the global outbreak of a pneumonia-like disease from Hong Kong is the same illness that struck southern China in November. David McAlary says the number of Chinese people it has killed sharply boosts the international death toll.

TEXT: The illness, called SARS, was suspected of originating in China's Guangdong Province, which had experienced a similar disease.

Now, World Health Organization experts have formally linked the two infections during a visit to China.

According to W-H-O spokesman Dick Thompson in Geneva, the experts say the Guangdong infection matches SARS, which has spread from Hong Kong.

/// THOMPSON ACTS ///

It is the opinion of the W-H-O expert team that the atypical pneumonia cases that have occurred in Guangdong starting in November, 2002 is the same disease as SARS cases in 2003.

/// END ACT ///

A Chinese doctor is thought to have brought SARS to Hong Kong after treating patients in Guangdong.

Provincial public health officials say 34 Chinese have died from the disease, tripling the global death toll from 17 to 51. (SIGNED)

NEB/DEM/RAE/RH



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