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.