March 16, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 12, 1424

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HONG KONG/SINGAPORE, March 15: Eleven more people in Hong Kong and Singapore have developed symptoms of a mystery flu-like virus that has killed one person, infected scores of others and sparked a rash of travel cancellations in Hong Kong.

The World Health Organisa-tion (WHO) issued a global pneumonia alert this week after outbreaks in Hong Kong and Hanoi and has sent experts to Asia to track down the source.

Seven more people — including five hospital staff — have developed symptoms of the virus in Singapore, bringing the total number of cases to 16, the health ministry said on Saturday.

All the patients, except for two that have been discharged, are in a stable condition, it said.

Four more medical workers were admitted to hospital in Hong Kong on Saturday with similar symptoms, bringing the number of Hong Kong medical workers infected to 47.

Thirty-seven have since developed signs of severe pneumonia, up from 29 on Friday.

Anxious Hong Kong residents have swept surgical masks off pharmacy shelves.—Reuters