Indian wrongly diagnosed as SARS suspect in Beijing

An Indian visitor to the Chinese capital Beijing suspected to be inflicted with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has been found to be suffering from salmonella, a bacterial infection.

The Indian, hailing from a city near Delhi, is currently in an isolation ward at a SARS designated hospital for foreigners. He did not wish to be identified.

He arrived in the Chinese capital last month from India after spending some time in Hong Kong, which is one of the worst hit cities by SARS epidemic.

He developed acute diorrhoea and high fever and went to a leading hospital for foreigners on April 23. After keeping him under observation for a couple of days the doctors decided to admit him since he showed some of the symptoms of SARS.

Since the SARS epidemic is raging in Beijing now, the doctors did not want to take a chance, he said.

"It is unfortunate that they took such a long time to diagnose my case," the Indian said. "I am not a SARS patient. But I am living like a SARS patient in an isolation ward."

PTI