A driver from Ambernath, who had taken the Stanley family from Mumbai to Pune, has tested positive for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, taking the total number of cases in Maharashtra to five, according to Maharashtra Health Minister Digvijay Khanvilkar.

The driver, whose name the minister refused to disclose owing to social stigma, had been admitted to Kasturba hospital a couple of days ago and is under treatment.

"All the people who had come in contact with the driver have been quarantined and there is no cause for panic since the driver had been responding to treatment," Khanvilkar said.

The driver's SARS status was confirmed after reports of tests conducted by National Institute of Virology proved positive on Monday.

The driver is the second patient in Mumbai to have tested positive, besides 32-year-old Bhaskar Murthy, who is currently in New Delhi after being discharged from Kasturba hospital.

Murthy, who worked for K K Maritime in Hong Kong, had been admitted to Kasturba Hospital on April 22 after he showed symptoms of the disease. He was, however, discharged on Friday even before the reports from the NIV were received.

"The doctors at the hospital were specifically instructed not to discharge Murthy till the second reports come in," Director of Health Services Dr S Salunkhe said. "Murthy was discharged after he expressed a desire to leave the hospital. A report on the matter has been prepared and would be submitted to the civic authorities for further action against those responsible for the lapse."

Meanwhile, a person suspected to be suffering from SARS has been admitted in the Sassoon hospital in Pune, Deputy Director of Health P P Gaikwad said.

The patient returned from a 10-day visit to China on April 26 and exhibited SARS-like symptoms, he said.

He was initially admitted to Jehangir hospital and later shifted to Pune's Sassoon hospital, Gaikwad said, adding his name is not being disclosed. "As a policy, we have decided not to disclose names of suspects and SARS victims to protect them from social problems," he said.

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