A 64-year-old man who died at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur o­n Sunday has been confirmed to be the first probable Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) case in the country, said the Health Ministry today.

According to a Bernama report, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Taha Arif ( left ) said post-mortem results revealed that the victim had symptoms of lung inflammation.

He said the man, who hails from Jerantut, Pahang, had reportedly visited China from March 6 to 14 and stayed in Singapore from March 14 to 16. He was admitted to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur o­n March 29.

Mohamad Taha added that the deceased's family members in Jerantut have been placed under a 10-day quarantine since Sunday as a precautionary measure.

Five more cases

Meanwhile, the director-general said five more suspected SARS cases had been referred to the ministry's operations room, bringing the total to 75.

He added that more than 10 cases were still under quarantine at several hospitals.

Mohamad Taha advised the public not to visit friends or relatives who have been placed under quarantine at hospitals in order to check the spread of the disease.

He also reiterated the ministry's advice to Malaysians to avoid traveling to the six countries where the outbreak is considered serious.

China, Hong Kong and Singapore were among the six countries that have reported many cases of SARS. The others are Taiwan, Canada and Vietnam.

The disease which has affected 2,535 people in 20 countries, has killed more than 80 people.

Student intake

In a related development, the Education Minsitry has instructed local private schools and colleges

to temporarily stop recruiting students from the six countries.

"We have advised these schools and colleges not to accept new students from these countries for the time being.

"But o­nce the situation has returned to normal, they can resume the intake," Deputy Education Minister Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

"We think the Sars problem will drag o­n for three or four months," he added.

The deputy minister said students from these countries who are already in Malaysia would not pose a problem.

However, those who travelled to their home countries might have to be quarantined for checks o­n their return.

At the school level, he said all headmasters and principals have been told to be o­n the lookout for symptoms of the disease among students.

He stressed that school heads have been directed to immediately report any suspected Sars case to doctors or hospitals.