Pune: Despite testing positive to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Julie, who contracted the dreaded virus following a visit to the South East, on April 21 got married under the supervision of doctors in a city church.

Julie exchanged rings with Shailesh Suryavanshi, working as a tehsildar in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, doctors at Sidharth Hospital told reporters.

Doctors had advised Julie to postpone the marriage for some time, after she, her brother Stanley D'silva and mother Vimla tested positive. Though Julie and her family refused to postpone the marriage, the ceremony was cut short and just rings were exchanged.

Julie and Shailesh were to marry at the Methodist church on the East Street. However, in view of Julie testing positive for SARS, the bride and the groom's party decided to just exchange rings, which concluded in a span of 10 minutes.

The D'Silva family had visited Jakarta and Indonesia recently and had come to Pune for Julie's marriage.

Stanley was admitted to hospital on April 17 and Vimla and Julie on April 19. While, Stanley has recovered, his mother and sister were on way to recovery.

Four persons have tested positive to SARS so far in the country, including three of the D'silva family and another person in Goa.

PTI