China to send samples abroad for more SARS tests

Beijing - China will send samples from a suspected SARS patient abroad for tests after researchers were unable to confirm whether the man has the deadly virus, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

The decision was likely to delay a diagnosis on the 32-year-old television producer in hospital in the southern province of Guangdong with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

The Health Ministry said in a statement the case could not be confirmed as of 10 a.m. Wednesday (9 p.m. EST Tuesday).

"The suspected case in southern China remains a suspected case," the WHO said on its Web site (www.who.int).

China decided late Tuesday to send samples to an outside lab affiliated to the WHO, or possibly more than one, but there was no schedule as yet, WHO spokesman Roy Wadia said in Beijiing.

"In this case, it's been so confusing because the few positives that have emerged from the battery of tests are from tests that historically have a high number of false positives," Wadia said.

China quarantined 81 people who had had contact with the TV producer, and the ministry statement said 23 had been released.

China's close cooperation with the WHO on the case is in stark contrast to its response when SARS first emerged more than a year ago. The WHO and other countries said China's attempts to initially sweep the problem under the rug probably caused the disease to spread more quickly.

Feng Shaoming, an official at the Guangdong health administration, dismissed reports in which he was quoted on Tuesday as saying the patient had already been confirmed SARS positive.

Three labs in China had run tests on the patient -- one under the Health Ministry, one under the Center for Disease Control and one belonging to the Guangdong health authorities, Wadia said.

The Health Ministry statement said antibody tests showed the possibility of infection by a corona virus, forms of which can cause anything from the common cold to SARS, but results of other tests were inconsistent.

Appearing on Hong Kong Cable Television, Zhong Nanshan, one of China's top respiratory experts, said some tests showed the patient was infected with SARS.

"Yesterday, in Beijing, we conducted a comprehensive test... The comprehensive test, which included tests on the patient's serum and antibodies, showed the patient was infected with the SARS virus," he said.

"There is not a very obvious origin of infection. If there is a case in the community, we need to be very careful in confirming it. That's a main reason why up to now the case has still not been confirmed."

Still, the WHO urged caution before a final diagnosis.

"I think one would have to await the outcome" of the new tests before making a final diagnosis, Wadia said, adding the process would take time.

SARS emerged in Guangdong in late 2002 and travelers spread it to nearly 30 countries.

About 8,000 people were infected around the world and about 800 of them died. About 350 of the deaths were in China out of more than 5,000 who became ill with the disease. -- Reuters

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