[Mar 24 2003] "Strange flu" SARS 2003 W.H.O Conference 2min clip (John MacKenzie)

(24 Mar 2003) NB: wrong slate on tape, story correct

1. Wide shot of World Health Organisation (WHO) team at briefing
2. Mid shot of WHO team
3. Cutaway of WHO flag
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Doctor (Dr) John S. MacKenzie, Team leader and virologist from the University of Queensland in Australia:
"We hope it will be very productive from both sides. From the global perspective - in terms of knowing more about SARS - but also from the more local perspective, shall we say, in terms of us providing whatever information we can, whatever help we can to our colleagues here in China."
5. Pan from Dr Meirion R. Evans, UK epidemologist (left) and Dr Wolfgang Preiser, German virologist to Dr Robert F Breiman, US Infectious disease specialist (left) and MacKenzie
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr John S. MacKenzie, Team leader and virologist from the University of Queensland in Australia:
"We've had 27 suspected cases in Australia but it's only information of the sort we're getting now - I mean, like we've been getting for the last three weeks - that we've been able to say that those 27 suspect cases in Australia are not SARS. And sure they've travelled in the right place. Sure they've got atypical pneumonia but they're not SARS under the current case-definition. So to be able to find out what the best definition possibly is, is incredibly important."
7. Pan right from journalist asking question to WHO team
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Robert F Breiman, American Epidemiologist and Infectious disease specialist:
"In the case of Legionnaires disease and (unclear) virus - and there have been many other emerging diseases - there is plenty of evidence that those diseases existed before. What's made it recognised is the actual clustering, it's the epidemic."
9. Mid shot of Dr James H. Maguire, Chief of epidemiology, US National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (left) talking next to Dr Alan Schnur, team leader for Communicable Disease Control based in Beijing
10. Cutaway of journalist
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr James H. Maguire, Chief of epidemiology, US National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention:
"It may be, it may not be but it may be that what we learn, what is learned here in China will provide the key. There may be issues here. The fact that if this was really the first location for where these diseases occurred, there may be some reasons why that happened here that I think are gonna be very interesting to explore."
12. Wide pan right of WHO team
STORYLINE:
A team of World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Monday they were analyzing the cases of Chinese sickened in an outbreak of a fatal flu-like illness in hopes of finding out whether it is linked to a mystery disease that has spread to three continents.
The five-member team arrived on Sunday and said they would examine Chinese records this week.
They said they had not decided whether to visit the southern province of Guangdong, where five deaths from atypical pneumonia were reported.
WHO says it is treating the outbreaks as part of the same emergency that has killed 10 people in Hong Kong, two in Vietnam and two in Canada, though it isn't clear if the deaths were caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS.
Another 305 people also were sickened in Guangdong since the first cases were reported in November, Chinese health authorities say.
The Chinese government didn't report the outbreak until February and its reluctance to release information fueled a panic in Guangdong and neighboring Hong Kong.
Cases of SARS have also been confirmed in Europe.