Beijing, Sept 03: China today quashed rumours that the deadly SARS epidemic has resurfaced in the country, which was the epicentre of the disease earlier this year. "No suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) case has reappeared in the mainland of China since August 16 this year," the Chinese Ministry of Health (MoH) confirmed said here today.
The official Xinhua news agency quoted a ministry official as saying that since August 16, when the last two SARS patients in the mainland of China were discharged from hospital, there has been neither confirmed SARS cases nor suspected ones.
According to the official, though the ministry no longer issues daily public information releases as it did during the epidemic period, the daily report mechanism has been maintained within the health departments at all levels. So far, no single SARS case has been reported.
The Beijing office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recently sent a letter to the ministry, requesting clarification of hearsay that suspected SARS cases have reappeared in Beijing, Xinhua said.
The ministry then confirmed with the local health departments that no such case has shown up so far, the report said.
According to the official, the ministry has mapped out a working plan for the prevention of SARS for 2003 and 2004. If the epidemic reappears, the ministry and local health departments will release relevant and timely information to the public in accordance with relative laws on the prevention of infectious diseases and related regulations.
Bureau Report