Anhui traces more people in contact with SARS patient

The Heath Department of east China's Anhui Province reported Wednesday 11 more people who had contact with the diagnosed SARS patient Song and immediately put them under quarantine.

So far, the province, the only area besides Beijing that has reported SARS cases, has traced 154 people who had contact with Song, who is recovering with her body temperature normal for five straight days, and none of them have shown abnormal symptoms so far.

Among the 154 isolated people, 38 have been removed from observation and 77 others were still under observation.

The Chinese Ministry of Health announced two SARS cases in Anhui last Friday afternoon. The other was Song's mother, a suspected SARS patient who died on April 19.

Song is a 26-year-old female postgraduate at Anhui Medical University. She studied in Beijing at a laboratory of the institute of virus diseases under the Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) from March 7 to 22.

On March 23, Song went back to Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, by train and then returned to Beijing by train after complaining of fever on March 25. Later Song went to see doctors at Beijing and Huainan city of Anhui Province. On April 4, she was transferred to the No. 1 Affiliated Hospital with the Anhui Medical University for viral pneumonia.

Nationwide, China reported one new suspected SARS case on Wednesday, which puts the country's total number of SARS-related cases at two diagnosed and seven suspected.

The newly reported suspected SARS patient, a 49-year-old retired woman doctor surnamed Zhang, once shared the same hospital ward with the Beijing diagnosed SARS patient Li. Zhang was now in critical condition, according to the Ministry of Health.

The ministry said that the Beijing diagnosed SARS patient Li isin relatively stable condition and has had a normal temperature for 12 straight days.

The six suspected SARS patients in Beijing continued to receive medical treatment in Beijing Ditan Hospital, the ministry said.

Of those currently under medical observation in Beijing, one reported having fever whereas 13 others have been removed from observation.

Experts arrive for SARS investigation

The expert team is expected to visit the places and laboratory where the diagnosed SARS patient surnamed Song used to work, according to sources with the ministry.

They will also help assess the laboratory bio-safety standards and provide technical assistance and suggestions to Anhui's SARS preventative work, an official with the ministry said.

The expert team is composed of seven members, three from the Chinese side and four others from the WHO.

"The team will stay for a day or two to make an initial appraisal and speak with the 26-year-old graduate student who is thought to have come in contact with the SARS virus in the Institute of Virology labs in Beijing," according to Bob Dietz, spokesman for WHO China Office.

Dietz noted that the team, experienced in laboratory work and epidemiology, "will interview the 26-year-old graduate student to see what light she can shed on how she contracted her illness."

Source: Xinhua/People's Daily