HONG KONG - A Malaysian cargo vessel with crew feared to have contracted the deadly Sars virus anchored in Hong Kong o­n Sunday and port health authorities were preparing to screen the sailors, an official said.

The vessel, carrying a cargo of chemicals, anchored off outlying Lamma Island at Kau Yi Chau at around 10:20am (0220 GMT).

Health officials were preparing to board the vessel to carry out health checks o­n the crew members.

The ship, Bunga Belawis Satu, had departed from Bangkok, Thailand o­n April 28 heading for the southern Chinese port of Huangpu in Guangzhou when the ship master reported 10 of the 24 crew members of Indian origin had fallen ill.

The ship was believed to have also visited several other ports in the region including Singapore.

The ship master had reported to Hong Kong port authorities that sick crew members had shown Sars-like symptoms including a cough, fever and aching joints.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars), which orginated in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong in November, has killed at least 435 people worldwide and infected more than 6,000 others, mostly in Asia.

Clinical examinations

Director of Health Margaret Chan noted Saturday that the symptoms identified by the ship master were common in other forms of illnesses, including flu, and stressed that clinical examinations were needed to properly diagnose the illness.

"If any members have symptoms that require hospital treatment, they will be sent to Princess Margaret Hospital," she said.

"Those members who are asymptomatic and are not sick will be issued with an isolation order and be required to stay o­n board the vessel for a 10-day quarantine period."

The recommended incubation period for Sars is 10 days.

Guidelines would also be issued to the local shipping agent to conduct a thorough disinfection of the vessel, she said.

Hong Kong, o­ne of the world's worst-hit Sars regions, has registered 179 deaths to the virus and more than 1,600 cases. - AFP