Brussels to host talks on spread of SARS

Date: 24/04/03

By Martin Banks

Brussels is to host a video conference on the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the pneumonia-like viral epidemic.

The event, which takes place today (24 April) at Brussels' Residence Palace, has been organised by Taiwan's EU Representative Office.

The video debate is being moderated by Dr Willem van der Geest, director of the European Institute for Asian Studies. High-ranking Taiwanese officials will discuss the disease with a panel of experts.

SARS - characterised by symptoms of high fever and a dry cough - was first detected in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong last November. However, amid allegations of a cover-up, the authorities failed to officially report it to the World Health Organization until February.

China's Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and the mayor of Beijing, Meng Xuenong, were dismissed on Sunday after being blamed by Communist Party leaders for negligence.

The sackings followed the announcement of a near ten-fold increase in the number of people infected by SARS in the country's capital. The authorities initially reported four deaths and less than 40 cases. That has now been revised to 18 deaths, 339 confirmed infections and more than 400 suspected cases.

Worldwide, the outbreak has killed more than 200 people, with almost 4,000 infected. It has spread to 26 countries, with the highest incidence in China and Hong Kong.

Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne, said there were 75 suspected cases of the disease in the EU, with 25 regarded as "very probable" infections.

The latter category includes six cases in both the UK and Germany, five in France, three in both Italy and Sweden and one each in Ireland and Spain.

The suspected cases include 27 in Germany, nine in France, seven in Finland, three in Sweden and one each in Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.

• Anyone seeking health information on SARS is advised by the Commission to contact their national authorities.

Brussels is to host a video conference on the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) on 24 April 2003.