NZ prepares its virus defences

By NATASHA HARRIS and AGENCIES

Ministry of Health officials will meet viral illness experts this morning to analyse the risk of the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome reaching New Zealand.

The pneumonia virus sparked a worldwide alert two weeks ago after several cases of the antibiotic-resistant flu surfaced in Asia.

Health authorities say 54 around the world have died from it and more than 1000 are suffering from its symptoms.

Dr Colin Tukuitonga, the Director of Public Health, said the ministry was having such meetings almost daily, mainly to ensure hospitals around the country were kept up-to-date with the progress of the virus.

"We will be discussing what risk Sars [severe acute respiratory syndrome] presents to the country and what other countries are doing in regards to travel advice. Most importantly we will look at how prepared we are to face the disease," he said.

China dramatically raised its death toll from the virus yesterday and reported its first deaths in the capital, while Singapore closed schools to fight an outbreak.

Singapore, which has quarantined 861 people with flu-like symptoms and reported its first two deaths from Sars, said all schools would be closed until Monday week.

Other developments yesterday:

* Hong Kong announced it will close schools until April 6 in an attempt to contain the illness.

* Taiwan's capital, Taipei, declared a full medical alert after five workers at an engineering works fell ill. All medical staff in Taipei hospitals were ordered to wear surgical masks at all times to help guard against the illness.

* A Singapore-bound luxury ship, The World, will stay a month longer in Australia.

Hong Kong's deputy director of health, Leung Pak-yin, said numbers of infections were expected to climb.

"If you are on the plane and an infected person is sitting either behind or in front of you and he coughs, you can get infected."

Eleven people have died from the illness in Hong Kong since the outbreak began in February. Dr Leung said infections had risen to 319 from 290 yesterday, with 316 suffering severe pneumonia. China said 34 people had died and about 800 had been infected by a mystery pneumonia, up from a previously reported five deaths and 305 infections.

World Health Organisation officials believe Sars, spreading swiftly across the world, is linked to a disease that broke out in China's southern province of Guangdong in November, but they have yet to prove a link.

In New Zealand, some airlines and travel agents have noticed a 5 to 10 per cent drop in travel to Hong Kong and Singapore since cases of the virus erupted. Air New Zealand spokeswoman Rosie Paul said travel to Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan was down.

The ministry advises people not to travel to Hong Kong, Vietnam, China or Singapore.

The outbreak

* A mysterious pneumonia that has killed 54 people and infected more than 1000 is being spread around the world by travellers.

* Initial symptoms include high fever, dry cough, chills and severe breathing problems.

* Even healthy and athletic adults can end up on a respirator within five days.

* Most people recover but many develop severe pneumonia and it has a mortality rate of 3 to 5 per cent.

* Deaths: China 34, Hong Kong 11, Vietnam 4, Canada 3, Singapore 2.