SINGAPORE: Singapore became the first country to report a possible return of SARS yesterday, saying tests showed one man might have caught the deadly disease, hours after the World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned the virus might reappear.
The Ministry of Health said initial tests appeared to indicate one man had tested positive for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus, in what it believed was an isolated case.
“We are doing further tests tonight,” said a ministry spokesman. The man has been isolated at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
SARS originated in southern China and was spread early this year to 30 countries by travellers. It infected nearly 8,500 people globally and more than 800 died, including 33 in Singapore.
The WHO had declared the outbreak contained on July 5.
The spokesman said the man, whom she described only as being ethnic Chinese, was picked up by surveillance at Singapore General Hospital. – Reuters
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