China says has third suspected Sars case

China confirmed a possible third Sars case yesterday, a 35-year-old man isolated in hospital after showing symptoms of the respiratory disease, and the World Health Organisation sought clarification on a possible fourth.

The man was labelled a suspected case yesterday, Xinhua news agency quoted a health official in the southern province of Guangdong as saying. He had earlier been under observation as a possible case. Last week, China confirmed its first case of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome since a world outbreak was declared over in July. He has since recovered.

A waitress is also in hospital suspected of having the deadly flu-like disease, which experts suspect has jumped from animals to humans. All three patients were in the Guangdong capital, Guangzhou, when they fell ill.

The 35-year-old man was described by a local official as a 'self-employed investor' and Xinhua said he had apparently had no contact with Sars patients or animals that might carry the virus.

He was taken to the No. 8 People's Hospital, one of three hospitals in Guangzhou designated for Sars treatment.

Experts distinguish between a person being observed for Sars symptoms and a suspected case. Designation as a suspected case depends on observation, various tests, which could take several days, and consultation between local medical authorities, the Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.