The four-day ordeal of a man displaying symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and detained in Hyderabad since April 8 ended on Friday with medical reports stating that his blood samples had tested negative.

"The report from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, stated that the samples of Raphael Antony contained no causative virus of SARS and he is fit for discharge," Dr K Venu, superintendent of the Government Chest Hospital at Erragadda, told the Press Trust of India.

"The NIV report, based on the human meta neuro viruses test, has confirmed our own diagnosis that the patient is clear of any serious infection and has clear lungs," Dr Venu said.

Antony, a native of Kottayam, Kerala, will be leaving for his hometown, but his travel plans are yet to be confirmed, Dr Venu said. "Antony is free to move about since it is scientifically proved that he has no SARS."

Antony was detained at Begumpet airport and sent to hospital after he complained of fever and severe cough on board an Air-India flight from Singapore to Mumbai via Hyderabad. Doctors sent his blood samples to the NIV and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi, for serological tests.

PTI