NEW DELHI, 28 April 2003 — Within two days, the number of persons affected by SARS in India has increased from five to seven, raising concern about prospects of it spreading like an epidemic in the nation. A health official said yesterday that the latest victim arrived in Bombay from Hong Kong and was admitted to hospital last week after he developed fever. He was, however, discharged after the fever went away, as he had no other symptoms, the official said.

“But later, his lab samples tested positive and he was traced in New Delhi and was admitted to hospital on Saturday night,” he said. Negligence on the part of the health officials in discharging this patient, without having confirmed whether he had SARS or not, raises questions on how many more may have become afflicted by the disease. After being discharged from the hospital, the patient traveled from Bombay to New Delhi to Madras and returned to Bombay on April 22. He was admitted to hospital on the ninth day of his arrival, during which he stayed for three days in Madras and two days in Delhi. There is no account of how many people he may have come in contact with during this period. Calcutta and Pune reported one new case each on Saturday.

Authorities in Calcutta claim to be taking strict measures to prevent the spread of SARS. Health authorities were keeping Amitava Purakayasta, 42, in isolation after he was found to be suffering from SARS, Prabhakar Chatterjee, director of West Bengal state’s health services, told AFP.

Purakayasta, who returned from a visit to China and some other countries in the region on April 18, escaped detection at two airports in the country, Chatterjee said.

He was admitted to the hospital when he developed a high fever.

In Calcutta, a number of booths manned by doctors have been opened up for examination of passengers, particularly from SARS-infected areas.

In addition, fogging and spraying an anti-viral liquid with a gun is continuing at regular intervals daily.

Four confirmed cases are from D’Souza family, including the bride Julie who recently went ahead with her wedding despite having SARS.

The bride’s mother is also infected with the virus. Latest reports indicate the bride’s uncle, who traveled home from Jakarta to attend the wedding, has also tested positive for the SARS virus. Twenty-five guests, including the uncle, were quarantined in Pune after the wedding.

Paradoxically, SARS has spread greater panic among the Indian pilots than any other section of the society.