Sars screening test 'available in 10 days'

As the world death toll from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) reached almost 170 yesterday, United States health authorities said a test to screen people for the virus could be available within 10 days.

India yesterday confirmed its first case, and several more people died in Hong Kong and China.

Singapore reported another Sars death yesterday, taking its toll to 14. Worldwide more than 3500 people in 25 countries have been infected in the past six weeks after the Sars virus apparently first emerged in November in Guandong, China.

New Zealand has had no cases, the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

Nurses have been posted at Christchurch Airport as a precaution against the virus, supplementing those already in place at Wellington, Queenstown and Auckland.

Dunedin Hospital staff are treating their first potential Sars virus patient.

Geoffrey Vine, 63, of Dunedin, was admitted yesterday with most of the symptoms of the disease.

While medical staff considered there was a low probability Mr Vine had Sars, the hospital had instituted full infectious disease protocol.



A New Zealand woman and man were also isolated in New Delhi hospitals after separately exhibiting symptoms.

The man, aged in his 40s, was undergoing tests last evening, but they had proved negative so far.

The woman is now thought to have sinusitis.

This Easter in Toronto, Canada, where Sars deaths are highest outside Asia, Anglican and Catholic parishioners will not drink out of shared Communion chalices.

Australia has confirmed that three children from a Canadian family probably had the disease. The children had recovered and the disease had not spread.

US Secretary of Health Tommy Thompson said three screening tests were undergoing an approval process by the US Food and Drug Administration. "In a week to 10 days, the tests will be made available to scientists and labs worldwide."

It is understood the tests will distinguish the Sars virus from lookalike colds and the flu.

Leaders from Southeast Asia have called an emergency summit on Sars.

An online report from Time magazine yesterday said that China removed dozens of Sars patients from isolation wards in hospitals ahead of inspection visits by the World Health Organisation in a bid to hide the extent of the epidemic.

In once case 40 patients were taken to a hotel before a WHO visit, Time said.

- AGENCIES, STAFF REPORTERS