Suspected SARS patients rise to four, one in Medan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Health announced on Saturday two more patients who were suspected of having been infected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), bringing the number of patients with the disease's symptoms to four.

The two patients are an Indonesian woman aged 35 and a 39-year-old woman from Guangzhou, China. They are currently under observation at the Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital (RSPI) in North Jakarta, along with the husband of the Chinese woman.

The other patient is hospitalized at the Adam Malik hospital in the North Sumatra capital of Medan.

Sjafii Ahmad, the SARS spokesperson at the ministry, said the Chinese woman might had contracted the SARS virus from her husband, who is being treated at RSPI.

A Japanese national may take the toll of SARS cases in Indonesia to five after health officials in the North Sulawesi capital of Manado said the person, aged 33, had been admitted to Malalayang hospital on Thursday with SARS symptoms.

Physician Hens Mewengkang said the temperature of the Japanese had returned to normal on Saturday, but he remained in an isolation room.

Doctors at RSPI are also examining eight people who had contact with visiting foreigners suspected of having SARS.

A person is classified as a "probable SARS" case if he or she shows indications of coughing, breathing difficulties, sore muscles, a fever of up to 38 degree Celsius and pneumonia and has had contact with SARS patients.

Suspected SARS patient have the same symptoms except for pneumonia.

Separately, the Sam Ratulangi Airport clinic in Manado has assigned six doctors to anticipate the spread of SARS in the province.

Clinic head Sutjipto said all passengers from SARS-hit countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and China had to show their medical records upon arrival.

He said the Japanese person was the only one to have been detected with SARS symptoms so far.

Meanwhile, the administration of Tegal municipality in Central Java had stepped up precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

Local population office head Suroto Wiryadasana said on Saturday his office had been collecting data on dozens of Tegal natives who work in the SARS-affected countries such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.