Mystery virus kills nine in China

Nine people died of severe acute respiratory syndrome in March in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, the provincial government said today.

The report from the province where the disease is believed to have originated brings the total number of acknowledged deaths from the disease in China to at least 43, and raises the worldwide death toll to more than 70.

In a statement, the Guangdong provincial government said it had 361 new cases in March of the illness known as SARS. The statement said 507 people who had contracted the illness earlier were released from hospitals last month.

The report gave the first new figures for deaths from SARS in Guangdong since the provincial government disclosed last week that 31 people had died there through the end of February.

Three deaths also have been reported in Beijing, and the Shanghai Health Department was to hold a briefing for Wednesday afternoon.

The Guangdong government statement said the number of new cases reported in March declined by 47.5% compared to February.

The illness has spread – apparently from Guangdong – to at least six countries and prompted quarantines as far away as Singapore and Canada. The first cases were reported in Guangdong in November.