The only suspected SARS case in south China's Guangdong Province has been confirmed as a diagnosed case, Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH) said Monday.

The patient remains in stable condition with normal temperature, according to an MOH press release.

The virus sample of the patient has been tested by Guangdong Disease Prevention and Control Center and China Disease Prevention and Control Center and received further examination in two networked labs of the World Health Organization by various means.

The 42 people with close contact of the patient have been isolated for further medical observation and 25 of them with normal physical symptoms have been freed from observation, the press release said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2004)