China has know-how to curb SARS

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) said it was likely that a major SARS outbreak in China could be prevented because the country is well prepared to tackle a re-emergence of the disease.

The announcement came as virus samples from a suspected case in the country's south were sent overseas for further testing.

The WHO based its prediction on China's radically raised level of alert and the much more abundant resources spent on curbing the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus, compared with last year when the disease first emerged.