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CDC chief may have broken law

A high-ranking health official said yesterday an alleged exposure of a suspected SARS case's identity by Center for Disease Control Director-General Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁) could have been in violation of the Communicable Disease Prevention Law (傳染病防治法).

Su, who is attending the two-day APEC Health Ministers' Meeting on SARS in Bangkok refused yesterday to comment on some Chinese-language media's reports that he leaked a suspected SARS case's identity.

"I don't want to talk about this," Su answered tersely when asked whether he, as a Chinese-language newspaper reported, told a reporter before departing for Bangkok the identity of a suspected SARS case exported to Japan.

Co-chairman of the Cabinet's SARS-prevention committee, Lee Ming-liang (李明亮), said Su had violated the Communicable Disease Prevention Law if his alleged exposure of the case identity is proven true.

Lee said the man, Tseng Chung-ming (曾仲銘), after knowing he had a fever, immediately contacted Taiwan's representative in Japan.

"He isolated himself right away. The preventive measures Tseng has taken earned Japan's appreciation," Lee said.

Chen Kow-tong (陳國東), director of the center's Division of Surveillance, said a report by a research institution of Japan's Ministry of Health proved yesterday the causative agent of Tseng's illness was an influenza virus.

Japan's Ministry of Health will conduct a final review on Tseng's test results on Monday. He will be discharged from hospital after the ministry confirms he is SARS-free, Chiang said.
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