A staff in Ipoh general hospital has been warded for suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) - the first health-care worker to be infected by the fast-spreading and deadly virus which has killed 263 people worldwide.

The 35-year-old woman, who works as an attendant in the hospital's Sars-isolation ward, was admitted yesterday after showing symptoms of the disease.

She had worked in the isolation ward last week from April 13 to 19.

Travel advisory

Responding to questions from reporters, Health Ministry's deputy director-general Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said he was uncertain whether this latest case could be classified as the first local transmission case.

"We need to check who she had attended to during that period as there are suspected and notified Sars patients in isolation wards, and every patient has been put in different rooms," Mohd Ismail said.

If this is indeed a local transmission, Malaysia could be put o­n the World Health Organisation's list of 'Sars-highly-affected country'.

Currently, there are eight countries o­n the list - China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, United States and United Kingdom.

WHO has issued an advisory to travellers to avoid visiting three countries o­n the list - China, Hong Kong and Canada.

The second probable Sars patient, a 84-year-old man from Teluk Intan who was admitted at the Ipoh general hospital o­n March 28 has since been discharged after having recovered early this month.

Mohd Ismail however dismissed the possibility that the hospital attendant was infected by the man since the latter was discharged "sometime ago".

The Health Ministry has also revealed that in addition to the hospital attendant, three other new suspected Sars cases were among the nine new notification cases reported yesterday. All of them were isolated in hospitals.

The three, apart from the hospital staff, are a 25-year-old man from Kulim who works in Singapore, a 29-year-old student who had visited China and a bus driver who travelled frequently between Malaysia and Singapore .

Drastic increase

Three were discharged yesterday, leaving 21 still in hospitals nationwide. They are said to be in "stable" conditions. Kuala Lumpur has the highest number of Sars cases with five individuals in isolation.

Of the 21, two are probable Sars cases, 10 suspected and nine notification, a significant increase from the day before when the figure were o­ne, eight and six respectively.

The number of those quarantined at home see a drastic increase from 15 two days ago to 47 yesterday after the ministry traced another 16 people linked to the sixth probable patient - a 30-year-old Malaysian Malay pilot - and 27 people who had been to the Pasir Panjang wholesale market in Singapore.

Yesterday, the ministry said it was actively tracing 203 Malaysian lorry drivers and general workers who had delivered vegetables to the market.

The ministry however conceded that it was having difficulties in tracking down the 30 people o­n its 'wanted' list released yesterday as it did not have sufficient information.

Nevertheless, Mohd Ismail urged the group of 30 people to immediately declare themselves to the ministry.

The six people linked to the fifth probable patient - a homemaker in Penang - have all been cleared as of yesterday.

Mohd Ismail said the homemaker had shown improvement in her health and is expected to be discharged today.

Media role

Meanwhile, Mohd Ismail also urged "certain quarters" to stop "pointing fingers, fighting and making statements" in newspapers.

He said he appreciated the role played by the media in helping to contain the disease but expressed hope that they would continue to "work cohesively" with the ministry.

"People should put aside political differences. We are united together o­n combating this disease...no Team A or Team B here - the Sars virus doesn't differentiate this," he said.

Mohd Ismail was referring to the factional feud between Team A and Team B in the Chinese-based MCA, the second biggest party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

Over the past two days, Chinese-language dailies - believed to be linked to Team A - have carried strongly-worded editorial pieces attacking the ministry, following Health Minister Chua Jui's accusation that the vernacular dailies have "exaggerated" the Sars outbreak in the country.

Chua is a leader in MCA's Team B faction.