West Virginia University has canceled study abroad courses and trips to China because of concerns over a potentially fatal respiratory illness health officials believe started in that country.

WVU ’s decision affects two summer art courses in the College of Creative Arts, one summer international business course in the College of Business and Economics and a trip by medical students in the Health Sciences Center, said Daniel Weiner, director of the Office of International Programs.

“We felt this was the best course of action to ensure the safety of our students, especially given the travel warnings issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization,”Weiner said.

WVU will continue to monitor the situation daily and update affected students upon receiving new information, he added.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS , has killed 263 people and infected another 4,439 worldwide since November. In the United States, there have been a reported 37 cases and no deaths. Symptoms of the illness include a fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, dry cough and shortness of breath. Health officials believe SARS emerged in the Chinese province of Guangdong, and the disease has spread rapidly throughout the country and other Asian nations.

China is the only country in the region where WVU had scheduled study abroad courses for the summer, Weiner said.

B&E is offering a course on the Morgantown campus as an alternative to the canceled class in China, said William Riley, director of the Center for Chinese Business.

“We felt an obligation to give students a chance to earn the three credit hours they stood to lose through no fault of their own,”Riley said.

Weiner said WVU is still offering numerous study abroad courses in areas not under a travel warning because of SARS . To check out those courses, go to the Office of International Programs Web site athttp://www.wvu.edu/~intlprog/safacultyled.html.