China said today the number of SARS cases in Beijing, the worst affected place in the world, may soon begin falling, but that the deadly virus could wreak havoc in the vast hinterlands.
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao told the cabinet to urgently take preventive measures in rural areas, where "basic rural medical facilities are weak".
Latest figures showed the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus had killed at least 18 more people and infected nearly 200 in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The worldwide death toll neared 500 with more than 7,300 cumulative infections.
The World Health Organisation said China was the key to containing global outbreaks of the flu-like virus. Most of China's SARS cases have been in Beijing and the southern city of Guangzhou with relatively few cases in the countryside so far. But tens of thousands of people are thought to have left Beijing and other SARS-hit areas and possibly carrying the disease around the country.
Alarm, if not the virus itself, is spreading in the hinterlands. Some villages have set up roadblocks to keep away people coming from Beijing and sporadic incidents of rioting against SARS quarantine centres have been reported.
China's Health Ministry said today five more people had died of SARS and another 159 were infected, taking the national death toll to 219 and cases to 4,560. Three of the new deaths were in Beijing along with 97 of the latest infections.
Hong Kong, the worst SARS-hit area on earth outside of China proper, said the virus had killed 11 more people in the territory and infected another eight.
The number of new cases was below 10 for the fourth straight day, but not enough to meet WHO's criteria for lifting a travel warning against Hong Kong that has badly hit the economy.
Taiwan, which has seen its outbreak worsen in recent days, reported two more deaths and another 28 infections.
SARS, which has no standard treatment, originated in southern China in November, moved to nearby Hong Kong and was then spread around the world by travellers.
The WHO said on its website that screening of air passengers and quarantines had worked to start controlling the disease.
Roche Holding AG said today it was on track to have a SARS test ready in June but it might take at least 18 months for it to be ready for distribution beyond the research community.