Manila, June 12: The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the outbreak of the deadly SARS virus may be nearing an end after about 8,435 cases worldwide.
Hitoshi Oshitani, the WHO`s regional adviser on communicable disease surveillance and response, said Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was on the wane in China -- the epicenter of the disease that has killed 789 people around the globe.
"In terms of the number of cases, we are seeing the end of the outbreak," Oshitani told reporters in Manila. "We do believe the outbreak is under control in China...not completely under control in Taiwan."

Oshitani said seven cases were reported on Wednesday -- one in China, one in Canada, one in Taiwan and four in the United States.
Taiwan, which has the third-highest number of SARS infections and victims after China and Hong Kong, reported two new cases on Thursday.

But it was the 12th straight day that new infections remained below five, as a fresh hospital outbreak late last week appeared to be contained.
Taiwan had hoped the WHO would revise its travel warning on Tuesday, but local health officials said the Geneva-based organization had requested more information from the island.
Elizabeth Miranda, a medical officer in the same WHO unit as Oshitani, said development of a SARS vaccine was "a few years away." Bureau Report