TAIPEI, Dec 17: A medical researcher in Taiwan has tested positive for Sars, the first case in Greater China since the flu-like virus killed hundreds of people and battered the region’s economies this year.

The first Sars case since July sent alarm across Asia for a possible resurgence of the deadly epidemic in the region.

The 44-year-old virologist at the highly secret Institute of Preventative Medicine, a top medical research institute under the National Defence Medical Centre, was confirmed to have contracted Sars.

“The man is a lieutenant colonel working for the Sars project at the institute. He apparently caught the virus while conducting an experiment on Sars on December 5,” said Department of Health Director Chen Chien-jen.

Su Ih-jen, director of the Centre for Disease Control, said the patient apparently came into contact with the virus by accident during the process of disinfection.

“He was in a hurry to finish up his disinfection work and could contract the virus by accident,” Dr Su said.

Earlier, Shigeru Omi, director of the Manila-based World Health Organisation (WHO) Western Pacific regional office, noted that the victim acquired the virus through “human error.”

“There were some spilled liquid on the outside surface of the test tube,” he said, adding based on initial reports, the victim probably was not wearing globes and gown while handling the virus.

The new case, the world’s second since the epidemic died out in July, unnerved Singapore, where the man and five of his military research colleagues had visited for a regional Sars seminar between December 7 and December 10.

The city-state immediately launched an investigation into case, tracing all the possible contacts the victim had made and placing 70 under quarantine until December 19.

“We are establishing the facts of the case but there are no suspect (case) of Sars in Singapore,” said a Singaporean a health ministry spokeswoman.

Beijing’s Capital Airport, China’s busiest airport, started checking temperatures of all passengers coming from Hong Kong and Macau, the China News Service said.

Most Taiwanese passengers fly to China via the two cities due to Taiwan’s ban on direct flight to China, a rival of Taiwan since the two sides split at the end of a civil war in 1949.

Airport authorities also disinfected all planes arriving from the two Chinese territories.

News of the Taiwan’s Sars case also triggered a chain reaction in Asian markets, with Taipei stock index dipping 139 points to its biggest ever single-day slump in seven months.

Stocks in Hong Kong and Singapore also slipped in reaction.

Hong Kong Wednesday also activated its Sars alert system, issuing a “Level A” alarm to closely monitor the development of the Taiwan case.

Taiwan also put up a “Level B” or high alert, requiring temperature checks at all public places.

It also made all outbound travellers fill health forms to declare they are Sars free for fear of overseas transmission.

“People with fever must present certificates issued by doctors saying they are Sars free before they are allowed to board the plane,” said Shih Wen-yi, deputy director of the Centre for Disease Control.

He said the victim, who showed pulmonary infiltration in his right lung, is listed stable.

“He can walk inside his isolated ward at the municipal Hoping Hospital designated for Sars patients,” he said.

The man developed high fever six hours after he returned to Taiwan from Singapore on December 10 through Taiwan’s China Airlines CI-661.

He was rushed to Trio-Services General Hospital Tuesday’s night, where he was diagnosed to have pneumonia symptoms, and was tested positive for Sars Wednesday morning, Shih said.

Shih said the victim’s father, wife and two children as well as those who have close contact with him are observed for any Sars symptoms until the end of December.

He said the five colleagues of the victims, under the insistence of the defence ministry, which supervises the institute, were placed at home quarantine.

He said the health authorities also asked 13 passengers sitting near the victim during the flights to take their own temperatures twice a day for seven days.

WHO said sample tests in Taiwan have confirmed the patient has contracted Sars, but the test results must be verified by tests in a WHO lab.—dpa