GENEVA (AFP) — WHO experts said yesterday that there was a “message of great hope” in the fight against the SARS virus but warned that China still faced huge hurdles in battling the disease.

Leading epidemiologists met in Geneva over two days to exchange data on the pneumonia-like disease. Top experts from the affected areas, including China, joined the debate via video-conference.

“What’s coming out of this meeting is a message of great hope but also a call for action,” Michael Ryan, co-ordinator of the WHO Global Alert and Response programme, told journalists.

“(But there is) still a difficult situation in China,” he added.

Angus Nickel of Britain’s Health Protection Agency, who chaired the meeting, confirmed that there were grounds for cautious optimism.

“There are success stories coming from Hong Kong and Canada but also huge challenges in mainland China,” Nickel said.

According to WHO experts, Canada and Hong Kong had brought the outbreak under control, although it would be some time yet before Hong Kong finally got rid of the SARS virus.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has so far claimed more than 600 lives around the world, with the bulk of deaths and infections occurring in China.

The Chinese government initially ignored the epidemic, which originated in the southern province of Guangdong, and only revealed the extent of the disease on April 20.

Beijing has had 145 SARS deaths and 2,420 confirmed cases, bearing the brunt of the nationwide death toll of 282 and 5,209 infections.

The WHO issued a new SARS virus travel advice for China, recommending yesterday that all non-essential travel to the northern Hebei province should be postponed.

On the latest serious front, Taiwan, the battle was stepped up with authorities announcing the suspension of direct transport links with China.

Ferry links with the Chinese mainland via the Kinmen islands near the southeastern province of Fujian have been closed, the Mainland Affairs Council said. Taiwan closed the links via the Matsu islands on March 31.

Taiwan made the decision as it reported its highest number of new infections in a single day — 34 — yesterday. Taiwan has now had 35 deaths from 308 cases, according to the Department of Health. Another SARS death, that of a doctor, has not yet been confirmed by the authority.

A WHO official said he believed the deadly SARS outbreak in Hong Kong had been brought under control as five more people died Saturday but just four new infections were recorded.

WHO’s head of communicable diseases, David Heymann, told Hong Kong’s Cable Television from Geneva the eight-week outbreak “has come under control in Hong Kong and that soon there will be no new cases”.

Hong Kong’s deputy director of health, Dr Leung Pak-yin, told a press briefing that 276 people were still receiving treatment for SARS. A total of 243 people have died of the disease in Hong Kong thus far.

Singapore also took one step closer to throwing off its SARS status yesterday, after none of the patients and staff who went down with fever at the Institute of Mental Health tested positive for the disease.

Vietnam and Canada were earlier taken off the list after achieving the 20-day, infection-free requirement.

Singapore, with 28 deaths out of 205 SARS cases, is one of the most severely affected countries but its steps to contain SARS — including mass quarantines and fever tests on incoming and departing passengers — have been praised and emulated.

The world of sports was feeling the effects of SARS, with a Chinese table tennis team which arrived in Paris yesterday for a world championship tournament being immediately subjected to health checks.

Daily checks were also to be carried out on players from some other SARS-affected countries taking part in the championships starting tomorrow.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge meanwhile voiced surprise over the Irish government’s decision to ask athletes from Asia not to go to the Special Olympics for disabled athletes because of the SARS scare.

“I am surprised,” said Rogge yesterday after hearing the news. “I don’t know why a government would restrict an athlete and let businessmen travel.”

Earlier in the week Irish health minister Michael Martin asked athletes from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines not to come next month for the Games.