New Delhi, April 18
A seven-year-old girl here is suspected to have contracted a killer pneumonia that has killed 159 people worldwide, the third such case detected in the country, officials said.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) is yet to confirm that the girl is suffering from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) but the authorities are keeping their fingers crossed with two other suspected cases detected Thursday.

The girl, who arrived here from Beijing on April 5, was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for treatment of a fever. Doctors referred her to another hospital that has been identified for treating SARS cases.

Horrified at the conditions at the second hospital, the girl's parents took her home but not after her blood samples had been taken. The health ministry tracked down the family and urged that the girl be admitted to hospital since the family had stayed in China for two years. Her parents said they would prefer to quarantine her at home.

Meanwhile, the first confirmed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome patient, a marine engineer in Goa, was today discharged from hospital, Union Health Ministry officials said here today.

He was kept under isolation after he tested positive for the mysterious virus.

“The patient was discharged today with an advice to remain at home till completion of 12 days since catching the infection,” the officials added.