Guo Huiyu, a leading virologistwith the Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University, said the virus found in tests on some of those who have died were similar to those found in animals.

But further scientific tests will have to be conducted to establish the exact source of the virus responsible for the current outbreak of atypical pneumonia, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), said Guo.

A total of 1,153 cases of SARS were identifiedbetween November 16 and March 31 in Guangdong, 40 of which proved fatal.

Of those infected by the virus, 361 were diagnosed in March, a drop of 47.5 per cent on the reported numbers in February.

Alan Schnur, a member of the WHO team, echoed Professor Guo. The director of the Infectious Disease Control Department of the WHO's China Representative Office said his team would be collecting more samples from Guangdong to further their research into the source of the SARS virus.

SARS: Question mark over origin

Questions as to the origin of the outbreak, until widely reported as the south of China, are also being raised.

A Xinhua News Agency report quoted James Maguire from the WHO team as saying that scientists suspect that the source of the SARS virus may originate from a particulartype of animal and possibly not from China.

Maguire said he and his colleagueshad some primary conjectures on SARS, but had not come to any firm conclusions.

After four days of examination and investigation, the WHO team has found that most of the SARS patients in Guangdong, apart from local medical workers, are employed in the province's restaurant and food industries.

"It is useful and valuable for experts to study the transmission channels of SARS in the coming months,'' Schnur said.

The WHO team Sunday visited Guangzhou Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and had talks with local officials, experts, doctors, nurses and even patients.

They continued to exchange views on the prevention and treatment of SARS with their local counterparts.

In the four days since their arrival in the province last Thursday, the team have visited Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, the First Hospital affiliated to Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou No 8 People's Hospital, which specializes in treating infectious diseases, and Foshan People's Hospital.

The WHO team have also had talks with Deputy Minister of Public Health Ma Xiaowei and Lei Yulan, vice-governor of Guangdong Province, on Saturday.

Vice-Premier Wu Yi also urged local officials, experts and doctors to do all they can to treat those currently infected and prevent further spread of the disease.

The central government has already instructed health departments in Guangdong and Hong Kong to directly exchange data on SARS, including the number of SARS patients, deaths and treatment methods without having to wait for specific approval .

Both the WHO and Chinese experts believe that SARS has been basically brought under control in Guangdong, with the number of new cases falling since March.

Guangdong Vice-Governor Lei Yulan Sunday reiterated that Guangdongremains safe for investors and tourists from both home and abroad.

SARS has had little affect on local society, Lei said,

with local hospitals, schools, kindergartens, shopping centres and entertainment venues all operating as usual. And the coming 93rd Chinese Export Commodities Fair, the country's biggest trade event, will get underway as scheduledon April 15 in Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

The WHO team which consists of experts from the United States, Britain and Germany will continue to visit more hospitals and patients in the coming days to collect more detailed and valuable materials and samples aimed at finding an effective way of treating SARS.

The WHO team are expected to leave Guangzhou Tuesday.

(China Daily April 8, 2003)