Two Australian nationals, Wilcox Luke Charles (19) and Goodall Robert Jason (18), who were admitted to the Andhra Pradesh Chest Hospital in Hyderabad after showing symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on May 3, were discharged on Tuesday evening after they tested negative.

Hospital superintendent Dr K Venu, who is the chief SARS coordinator for Andhra Pradesh, told rediff.com on Wednesday that their temperature had been normal for the last 48 hours, their x-rays showed their lungs to be normal and all clinical tests indicated they had no symptoms or signs of SARS.

"Our diagnosis was unquestionable and our treatment was excellent. They responded well to the treatment. They became quite normal," Dr Venu said. "Though the confirmatory test reports on their blood samples were yet to come from National Institute of Virology, Pune, the decision was taken to discharge them since the lab test reports have become redundant at this stage with the World Health Organization declaring that Australia and Thailand are no longer in the SARS transmission zone," Dr Venu said.

The two Aussies, along with other members of a Perth-based cultural troupe, had come to Mumbai from Australia via Thailand. They had arrived in Hyderabad from Mumbai by train on April 26. Charles and Jason were admitted to the Chest Hospital after they had complained of fever, nasal discharge, dry cough, sore throat, body aches and vomiting.

The health authorities also conducted a general check-up on 97 foreigners staying at the Young Men's Christian Association hostel at Secunderabad and a private hostel at Mahendra Hills as the two Australians had come in contact with them.

The health authorities eased restrictions on 74 of the foreigners as they had come to India several weeks ago. Twenty three foreigners, mainly Australians, were kept in isolation for a couple of days as part of the WHO guidelines that persons from areas declared as SARS-affected be kept under observation for a 10-day incubation period. However, since none of them showed any symptoms of SARS, they were de-quarantined on Tuesday.

"Hyderabad is 100 percent free of SARS as there is no patient with any symptoms of this dreaded disease in the city now," Dr Venu said. 

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to declare SARS as a notifiable disease and constitute a high-level committee to constantly monitor the incidence of SARS in the state.

The government has also decided to set up an exclusive SARS screening cell at Visakhapatnam seaport, on the lines of a similar cell at the Hyderabad airport.

A campaign is being taken up to sensitise the doctors and para-medical staff at all the teaching hospitals and district-level hospitals, including private and public hospitals on SARS, through continuing medical education programmes.

An orientation workshop for superintendents and heads of district hospitals and teaching hospitals will be held in the city on Friday to educate them on the measures needed to prevent the spread of SARS in the state.