The Philippines has isolated a woman and her husband on suspicion she contracted SARS while working as a maid in Hong Kong.
The Filipino woman (42) was being treated for atypical pneumonia and her husband had a fever and a cough. The doctor who initially treated her was isolated as a precautionary measure but had shown no symptoms.
Health Secretary Mr Manuel Dayrit told reporters the results of tests on the woman for the flu-like virus that causes SARS would be available within 48 hours.
"We have to know if this pneumonia comes from SARS," said a spokeswoman for the health department. "Now she is still a suspected SARS case, not a probable case yet."
The woman was being considered a potential SARS case because of the X-ray findings of pneumonia and her history of travel from Hong Kong, which was hit hard last year by an outbreak of the virus that swept out of southern China and was carried around the world by travellers.
Officials were tracing the contact history of the woman, who arrived in her hometown south of Manila from Hong Kong on December 20th without showing any symptoms.
She was given antibiotics by her doctor on December 24th after she developed a fever but was admitted to hospital and isolated when she showed no improvement.