The two suspected SARS cases in Guangzhou have been confirmed as having contracted the potentially deadly virus, the Ministry of Heath said Saturday.

The cases were confirmed after strict tests in the World Health Organization (WHO) laboratories were completed, a spokesperson of the ministry said. 

One of the patient, a 20-year-old restaurant waitress, has been discharged from the hospital after full recovery. None of the people that have contact with him show SARS symptoms and all of them have been released from quarantine, according to the spokesperson. She was identified as a suspected case on January 8.

The other patient, a 35-year-old private businessman, is in a stable situation and has maintained a normal temperature for 11 days, the spokesperson said. He was identified as a SARS suspect January 13.

The ministry has informed WHO on the latest developments and Guangdong health authorities have also notified Hong Kong and Macao authorities on the current SARS situation.

The spokesperson pointed out that, up to now, Guangdong has reported three SARS cases since the epidemic was declared contained last July, but none of them is highly infectious and recovered quickly.

However, the spokesperson warned against negligence over the disease and called on all level of governments to be on high alert, taking all kinds of measures to prevent another SARS outbreak.

The season's first confirmed case, a 32-year-old television producer, was released from hospital last week.

(China Daily January 17, 2004)