Beijing: An Indian visitor, suspected to be inflicted with the killer disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), has been found to be suffering from salmonella, a bacterial infection.

The unidentified Indian, hailing from a city near Delhi, is currently in an isolation ward at a SARS designated hospital for foreigners.

He arrived in the Chinese capital last month from India after spending some time in Hong Kong, which is one of the worst hit cities by SARS epidemic.

He developed acute diarrhoea and high fever and went to a leading hospital for foreigners on April 23. After keeping him under observation for a couple of days the doctors decided to admit him since he showed some of the symptoms of SARS.

Since the SARS epidemic is raging in Beijing now, the doctors did not want to take a chance, he said. "It is unfortunate that they took such a long time to diagnose my case," the Indian said.

"I am not a SARS patient. But I am living like a SARS patient in an isolation ward," he said. Since SARS is highly infectious disease, hospitals in China have taken strict quarantine measures as part of efforts to curb its spread.

A senior Beijing official on May 6 announced at regular briefing on SARS situation that an Indian citizen is the only SARS suspect case among foreigners in Beijing.

PTI