A man in Guangzhou City, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, was diagnosed as a suspected patient of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

An official of Guangdong provincial health department confirmed this to Xinhua News Agency Saturday afternoon.

He said that the middle-aged man is receiving further medical check and group consultations.

The suspected SARS case was confirmed by the Ministry of Health and a panel of medical specialists of the province at three o'clock Friday afternoon in Guangzhou City.

This is the first suspected SARS case ever found since May 23 when the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the SARS-related travel advisory against Guangdong Province.

The first SARS case was found in Foshan City of the province in November 2002.

Chinese mainland's last two SARS patients were discharged from hospital on August 16 in Beijing after more than 100 days of medical treatment.

As of 10 am August 16, a total of 5,327 SARS cases were reported on the Chinese mainland, 4,959 patients were cured and discharged from hospital. Death toll from the disease stood at 349. Of the total figure, 2,521 SARS cases and 193 deaths from the disease were reported in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2003)