Singaporeans face fines if they do not comply with the quarantine

The World Health Organisation says that the outbreak in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong is "consistent" with the SARS infection, which has been blamed for 18 deaths elsewhere in the world.

However, in a worrying development, the Chinese authorities say that there have been three deaths from the illness in Beijing - and that at least one of these may have arisen in a different region of China, the northern province of Shanxi.

Officials say they believe they have the infection "under control", with the number of new cases in Guangdong falling.

If the link between the Chinese outbreak and SARS is confirmed, this would bring the global death toll to at least 50.

Dr Meirion Evans, a member of the WHO team that traveled to China to investigate the outbreak, told AP: "Everything we've seen so far indicates it's the same disease."

School closures

Singapore has reported its first death from the illness, and has announced the closure of all schools until April 6 in a bid to contain the illness.

Almost 500 people outside China have been infected with the illness, according to most recent World Health Organisation figures.

More than 700 people have already been quarantined in Singapore on suspicion that they may have come into contact with the disease.

New suspected cases have also emerged in Canada, where three people have already died from SARS.

And in Hong Kong more than 50 schools have been closed or closed voluntarily as the number of people infected in the territory rose to 290.

New cases

In Singapore, the Ministry of Health has invoked special powers to keep 740 people under home quarantine in an attempt to try to halt further spread of the disease.

The people placed under quarantine are thought to have had close contact with others who have developed symptoms.

If they break the quarantine they will be fined SIN$5,000 ($2,840) for the first time and SIN$10,000 for the second offence.

Canada has reported another eight probable cases in Ontario, where health officials in the province have restricted access to the hospital where some of the first cases appeared.

Several hundred people who may have been exposed to the virus may also have their homes quarantined, Reuters news agency reported.

US researchers now believe the illness may be caused by a new, more virulent version of the virus that causes the common cold.

There's very strong evidence to support coronavirus as the cause Dr Julie Gerberding

Authorities suspect the outbreak started in the Guangdong province of China, where the authorities say 31 people have died.

Deaths

In Vietnam, a nurse and a gynaecologist who worked at the Vietnam-France Hospital in Hanoi died from the illness on Monday afternoon.

Countries with reported cases Canada China (including Hong Kong) Taiwan France Germany Italy Republic of Ireland Singapore Spain Switzerland Thailand United Kingdom United States Vietnam

Both had direct contact with Johnny Chong Chen, the man who is thought to have brought the bug from Hong Kong to Hanoi.

The first case has also been reported in France. The man who arrived in the country on Sunday had been working as a doctor in a French hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Eleven other people, who have recently returned to the country from Asia and have displayed SARS symptoms, are also under observation in the country.

Cure race

Eleven laboratories in nine countries are working to find a cure for the disease.