China's leaders are leading a high-profile battle to stop the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) fromspreading around the country.
The move comes after months of China downplaying the SARS outbreak.
Premier Mr Wen Jiabao called on "the whole nation" to "workclosely together to win the fierce battle" against SARS, theofficial Xinhua news agency said. The call comes two weeks before 100million Chinese are expected to travel during the spring holidays.
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He and Communist Party leader Mr Hu Jintao appeared in major hospitals fighting the disease, and the government ordered planes, trains, buses, trucks, taxis and office blocks disinfected as fears grew the disease may hurt the fast-growing economy.
It called on people to wash their hands even after wipingtheir noses, to cut down on drinking and smoking and keep face masks handy. These were among a long list of dos and don'ts plastered on streets and subway stops.
"We shall employ every means possible to cure SARS patientsas soon as possible and to prevent the further spread orresurgence of the epidemic," Xinhua quoted Mr Hu as saying.
That was where the SARS firstappeared in November before leaping to neighbouring Hong Kong and then worldwide, infecting 3,330 people and killing 144.
Two suspected cases of the virus at St James's Hospital, Dublin, are being investigated, the hospital confirmed last night.