A seven-member team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) and China's Ministry of? Health began their investigation into the Anhui SARS cases on Thursday.

In Hefei, some of the team members visited SARS patient Song, who is in isolation at a hospital affiliated with the Anhui Medical College. Investigators spoke mask-to-mask with the 26-year-old medical postgraduate.

On Thursday morning, the Anhui provincial government delivered a report to the team on its overall efforts in SARS prevention and treatment.

WHO epidemiologist Jeff Gilbert, an expert on influenza, said the team was impressed with the positive attitude and confidence of the local health workers. He added that it is clear that the local government has exerted huge efforts to prevent the spread of SARS.

Chinese team member Cao Wuchun said the local government has done a great deal of work since the SARS cases appeared, and currently the situation in the province is well under control.

The team, which arrived in Anhui Wednesday night, plans to stay in the province for two days.

They will also help assess laboratory biosafety standards and provide technical assistance and suggestions for the province's SARS prevention efforts.

The Ministry of Health reports that Song's condition continues to improve. So far, 39 of her close contacts have been released from medical observation.

Meanwhile, back in Beijing other members of the joint team visited the laboratory at the National Institute of Virology where Song worked for a time, looking for clues to the source of the infection.

So far, the Ministry of Health has reported four confirmed and five suspected SARS cases on the mainland, including one patient suspected of having SARS who died on April 19 in Anhui.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2004)