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New SARS travel warningsMutations add to SARS puzzle
GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- The World Health Organization has increased its SARS travel warnings, advising against non-essential travel to Beijing, China's Shanxi province and the Canadian city of Toronto in a bid to stem the global spread of the deadly virus. Wednesday's travel advisory follows the announcement in Beijing of 147 new cases of the virus and nine deaths in China -- most of them in the Chinese capital. There are also fears concerning a mutation of the virus, with scientists in China saying they have found significant differences in the genetic code in samples of the SARS virus taken from different parts of the country. However, they say that as yet it is not clear whether the mutation of the virus has direct links to its strength. The latest figures put China's officially reported tally of SARS cases up to 2,305 infections and 106 deaths. China has already been hit by a previous WHO travel warning. Earlier this month, WHO advised against non-essential travel to China's southern Guangdong province -- where the virus is believed to have originated -- and neighboring Hong Kong. Both of those regions, as well as Beijing, are reported the hardest hit by the SARS virus. Wednesday's WHO recommendation to postpone non-essential travel to the three new areas will last for at least three weeks, twice the maximum incubation period of the virus. (Travel warning) "Today, one of the most important means of spreading diseases around the globe is air travel," David Heymann, WHO's Communicable Disease Executive Director said. Heymann identified the three areas under the new travel recommendation as having a "high magnitude of disease, a great risk of transmission locally outside the usual health workers...and also there is exporting of cases." In other efforts to curb the spread of the virus, education officials in Beijing have said they will close all elementary and secondary schools from Thursday for a period of two weeks. The move is expected to affect some two million students in the Chinese capital, although some have been told they will be able to continue lessons over the Internet. Vaccine huntMeanwhile, as the hunt for a cure continues, Chinese scientists have been mapping the genetic code from samples of the SARS virus in the hope of finding clues on treating and ultimately preventing it. In doing so, they say, they have found considerable variations between samples taken in the capital, Beijing -- which has reported scores of new cases in recent days -- and samples taken in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong. According to researcher Li Wei with the Beijing Genomics Institute, although the mapping of the genomes is now complete, further studies will be carried out on additional samples before the implications of the genetic mutations becomes clear. "Our finding will help the development of a SARS vaccine and the selection of appropriate medicine in treating patients," Li said Wednesday, but he added that he's not expecting a vaccine anytime soon. The SARS virus is thought by many health experts to have made the leap from animals to humans in Guangdong province -- although how exactly that happened is one of many mysteries yet to be solved. The virus then spread to Hong Kong and from there it has been carried by air travelers to more than 20 countries and territories around the world. On Wednesday, Hong Kong announced six new deaths from SARS, pushing the total death toll through the psychologically important 100-barrier to 105. On top of that, 24 new cases of infection were been reported on Wednesday. Hong Kong's economy has been hit hard by the SARS outbreak and the advisory issued by the World Heath Organization (WHO) recommending travelers avoid non-essential visits to the territory. In an effort to alleviate some of that burden on businesses Hong Kong's government announced a U.S.$1.5 billion relief package, including tax cuts, loan guaranties and a lowering of utility charges. (Relief package) Economists are warning Hong Kong could slip into recession if the SARS outbreak is not contained in the next month or two. In other developments: • The WHO says it will send a team to Hong Kong to investigate a cluster of SARS cases at the Amoy Gardens housing complex in Kowloon. More than 300 residents in the estate were infected with the virus and several have died. WHO officials say they are not fully convinced by a government report blaming sewage leaks for the outbreak and say they want assurances no repeats are likely before the travel advisory will be lifted. • Japan plans to follow Singapore in installing thermal imaging camera at Tokyo's Narita international airport to identify arriving passengers who have high fevers -- a prime symptom of SARS. Similar equipment will also be installed at Hong Kong's main land border crossing with China, officials say. • The Australian state of New South Wales has added the SARS virus to a list of dangerous, communicable diseases, allowing authorities to fine or jail potential sufferers for six months if they refuse treatment. • As of Wednesday morning (prior to the release of figures in China and Hong Kong) the WHO says 3,947 people have been infected with the SARS virus around the world. Of those 229 people have died and almost half, 1,935, have recovered and been discharged from medical care.
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