So far, Shanxi was the Chinese mainland's third largest area hit by SARS, accounting for 8.5 percent of the national cumulative total of clinically confirmed cases, said Cai Quancai, an epidemic analyst from the national SARS prevention and control team.

Statistics show that farmers and migrant workers have begun to constitute larger proportions of confirmed SARS cases in the province since early May.

Cai said that compared with other provinces and cities in the country, Shanxi also ranks as the third largest in terms of the number of farmers infected by the virus, totaling 9.1 percent in the province.

Cai said that SARS cases among farmers and migrant workers are found in 10 cities and prefectures in the province, which are localized in particular in Taiyuan, the provincial capital, and in Jinzhong Prefecture.

Cai said stricter precautions must be taken to prevent the epidemic spreading further to rural areas.

At present, Shanxi's rural counties have not witnessed obvious secondary infections of the contagious disease, he said.

Cai stressed that urgent priority must be paid to strictly ward off urban infection sources swarming into and infecting rural areas.

So far, 11 cities and prefectures of Shanxi have seen SARS cases, with Taiyuan and Jinzhong accounting for 87.5 percent of the total cases in the province.

In terms of occupation, students make up the largest number, totaling 18.25 percent, followed by farmers and migrant workers and then medical staff, totaling 15.97 percent and 15.59 percent, respectively.

As of 10:00 a.m. May 16, Shanxi had 443 cumulative SARS cases and 83 suspected cases, with 197 discharged patients.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2003)