"The epidemic has occurred in 10 provinces and they are individual cases, it
is not a pandemic. There is no evidence to suggest there is human-to-human
transmission of the virus in China."
Zhong also said that "we should not say that the SARS virus, which was around
in the spring of 2003 and 2004, had disappeared because the SARS virus is still
here, at least in bats."
"I have to say that we have controlled the key point of the infection, which
is in the wild animal market," Zhong said.
Global alliance
Zhong was interviewed by reporters at a ceremony to launch the Global
Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) project in Beijing.
The alliance is a global voluntary alliance of 41 national and international
organizations, focused on reducing the global disease burden of chronic
respiratory diseases by integrating and strengthening surveillance, prevention
and treatment efforts.
The World Health Organization estimated that some 4 million people died of
chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) in 2005 and that total deaths will increase
by 30 per cent in the next 10 years, if immediate action is not taken.
Zhong also signed an agreement yesterday with AstraZeneca, which donated 6
million yuan (US$720,000) to China for doctors to do clinical research against
CRD.
CRD are chronic diseases of airways and other structures of the lungs. Two of
the most common are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).
Important risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases are tobacco smoking,
air pollution and occupational agents.
In 2002, about 74 per cent of Chinese urban areas had poor air quality. In
the same year 1.3 million people were killed by lung disease, the second highest
killer in China.