Three more suspected Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) cases have been added to the health ministry's list.

In addition, 106 Malaysians linked to the Sars-infected Pasir Panjang wholesale market in Singapore have been put under quarantine as of yesterday.

This brings the total number of people quarantined to 834 nationwide, deputy director-general of health Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said today.

Under control

Of those quarantined, 566 are linked to a death of a 44-year-old woman in the Sentosa mental hospital in Kuching. Health authorities are currently determining if she had succumbed to Sars.

Another 239 of those quarantined are Malaysians who had frequented the Singapore market, while 29 others have had close contact with the sixth probable patient currently warded at the Penang hospital.

Mohd Ismail reminded the 76 other Malaysians who had visited the Pasir Panjang market in Singapore to report to the health authorities immediately.

He said the ministry was handling the Sarawak situation well to prevent local transmission of the disease. A three-member medical team from Kuala Lumpur has been sent to Sarawak to assist in investigation and containing the outbreak.

Since the inmate's death at the mental hospital o­n April 22, four others have developed Sars symptoms and have been admitted to the Kuching hospital.

The mental hospital and the female medical ward of the Kuching hospital have been sealed off since Sunday for 10 days.

The ministry is also racing to track down female patients in the Kuching hospital who were discharged between April 15 and 22.

This follows the admission of two female patients from the mental hospital to the ward with Sars symptoms. Since then, 20 medical staff have also been placed under quarantine.

New cases

Mohd Ismail told reporters that eight notification cases were reported yesterday. Seven of these patients have been warded - three are suspected cases. The eighth case was the delayed notification of the mental patient's death in Kuching.

The three new suspected cases were reported in Perak, Kedah and Melaka. Two are two lorry drivers, aged 38 and 24 respectively. They have been frequenting Singapore.

The third patient is an American teacher who lives in Thailand. The patient had travelled to Singapore, Negri Sembilan and Melaka before being warded in Melaka hospital o­n Sunday.

With 15 people discharged yesterday, the number of patients isolated in designated hospitals has dropped to 26. There is o­ne probable, eight suspected and 13 notification cases, while four more are pending confirmation. ( See chart )

Three foreigners - a Singaporean, a Chinese and an American - are o­n the list.

The country has recorded six probable Sars cases including two deaths so far.

On a death in Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang o­n April 11, Mohd Ismail said the postmortem report showed that the patient could have died of "a new form of influenza-like virus".

The 37-year-old male patient - a former drug user - was warded at the hospital o­n April 7 after developing fever and headache.

Councillor under fire

Meanwhile Mohd Ismail also reminded the public to be fully informed of the Sars situation in the country.

He said that there should not be any confusion, complacency or carelessness when dealing with the Sars situation.

"If somebody is careless, complacent ... doesn't even bother to read the newspapers, then he knowingly or unknowingly could start the local transmission and if this happen, we will be in deep trouble," said Mohd Ismail.

He also warned state executive councillors not to issue statements o­n Sars to the media.

He was referring to a councillor - not named - who had told reporters that there was confusion because of the classification of categories of Sars cases.

A clearly outraged Mohd Ismail said that, instead of making public statements, councillors should seek an explanation from him.

"I have given my phone number to them...they can call me and I can explain step by step to them. In fact, the media has helped to do a very good job in explaining the outbreak to the public. If there is anything that (councillors) want us to do, tell us...tell us," Mohd Ismail stressed.

According to the World Health Organisation's latest figures, 5,050 Sars cases have been reported in 28 countries, with 321 deaths.