WHO withdraws warning against travel to HK

The World Health Organisation yesterday withdrew its warning against travel to Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, saying the Sars outbreaks there were under control.

And a top Hong Kong scientist said it was likely that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed nearly 700 people and infected more than 8,000 worldwide, jumped to humans from civet cats, eaten as a delicacy in southern China.

Despite the fact that Hong Kong is still the second most affected Sars area outside mainland China, WHO said the rate of daily infections and the number of outstanding cases had dropped to within limits set for travel alerts.

Its decision to remove the travel advisory, issued on April 2, was a huge relief for Hong Kong, a former British colony where the trade-reliant economy has suffered severely.

The UN health agency also lifted its advisory against neighbouring Guangdong province, where the new flu-like disease is believed to have emerged in November before travellers spread it around the world.

The illness, fatal in about 15 percent of cases, 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. Symptoms include a fever, dry cough and shortness of breath.

The WHO said the spread of Sars on Taiwan was "worrisome" - the island reported 55 new cases yesterday - but there was not "an explosive escalation in the number of cases", it said in a statement on its Web site (www.who.int).

Taiwan said yesterday it would remove a visa ban on business travellers from Sars-hit China, Hong Kong and Singapore to ease its impact on the economy. But a ban on tourists from those countries would remain for another two weeks.