Sars death toll climbs in Asia, Canada

12.00pm

TORONTO - China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada reported climbing death tolls in their fight against Sars today and the deadly virus' resurgence in Toronto sent more than 800 people into quarantine.

China, hardest hit by flu-like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, announced seven deaths and 16 new cases and started to crack down on the eating of civet cats after research showed it was likely the virus jumped to humans from the animal, considered a delicacy in southern China.

Hong Kong reported four deaths and one more case, a day after it reported no new cases since the outbreak hit the city in March. Taiwan said the virus killed 12 more people and infected another 22 people.

Canada said it had six new "probable" cases on hand and 26 suspected infections. Health officials in Toronto said they would not be surprised if the World Health Organisation (WHO) put the city back on its list of Sars-affected areas. Just about 10 days ago, the WHO said Canada was free of the spread of Sars.

A top health official in Taiwan said the spread of the virus was stabilising in the country and Canadian medical officials urged the public not to panic as they received thousands of calls from those at risk of being exposed.

"We still see no evidence of community transmission of this disease," said Dr Colin D'Cunha, Ontario's chief medical officer of health.

Lee Ming-liang, a top medical official in Taiwan, said: "The Sars epidemic has stabilised, but it does not mean we can relax vigilance. We are not saying everything is OK."

Worldwide, the Sars virus has killed about 700 people and infected more than 8000 since it appeared in southern China late last year. More than 7000 cases and 650 deaths have occurred in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Canada, with 27 deaths, all of them in the Toronto area, is the only country outside Asia to report deaths from Sars, which is fatal in about 15 per cent of cases.

Sars is caused by a virus linked to the common cold and has no standard treatment. It is spread by coughing, sneezing or touching infected objects and its symptoms include a high fever, dry cough and shortness of breath.

The new outbreak in Ontario, Canada's most populous and richest province, has prompted the US Centres for Disease Control to tell travelers to take care if they visit Toronto.

D'Cunha said he does not expect the WHO to again slap a travel advisory on the city.

Taiwan's Lee urged people in the island country to "live their lives normally." But he cautioned: "Preventive measures, such as having temperatures taken, are still necessary."

China offered to give Taiwan 100,000 surgical masks, 200,000 protective suits and ambulances, the China Daily said.

It also proposed to send a team of health workers to Taiwan, viewed by Beijing as a breakaway province that must be reunified, by force if necessary.

But Taipei rejected the offer and instead said it wanted to help China.

"Since the epidemic situation on the mainland area remains severe, the priority should be to effectively control the situation there in order to alleviate global fears," Taiwan's semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation said in a letter to its mainland counterpart.

Hong Kong was set to launch a $HK1 billion ($220 million) campaign to improve its battered image following the lifting of a WHO travel warning, the Sunday Morning Post said.

The WHO withdrew its warning on Hong Kong and the neighbouring southern Chinese province of Guangdong on Friday, saying their outbreaks were under control.

Meanwhile, health officials in Ontario said the US Centres for Disease Control will shortly send a team of experts to help combat the new Sars outbreak.

- REUTERS