The outbreak of SARS is under control in China's eastern province of Anhui

A labratory worker who was China's first SARS patient in the recent outbreak has fully recovered and has been discharged from hospital today as Chinese health officials claimed success in controlling the disease in eastern Anhui province.

Anhui province's only patient, surnamed Song, was discharged after having a normal temperature for 17 consecutive days. She will continue to be observed at home for a two week period.

"Her condition fits all the criteria necessary for her to be released," the hospital director said, adding that Song, 26, has had a normal temperature for more than two weeks and was in good health.

"The fact that she has been released shows the fight against SARS in Anhui is being victorious," he said.

Song most likely contracted the disease whilst serving as an intern at the Institute of Virology, China's top Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome laboratory based in Beijing, from March 7 to 22.

She was confirmed as being infected with SARS on April 23.

All 115 people who had close contact with her have been released from quarantine.

So far nine people, all linked to the virology institute, have been confirmed as having SARS, which last year caused almost 800 deaths worldwide from some 8,000 infections.

But Liang Wannian, deputy director of the Beijing municipal health bureau, said Monday it was still being investigated if the virology institute was the source of the outbreak.

"It's a massive, complex scientific task," he told a briefing. "We have no definite result yet."

He said that if someone at the virology institute was seen to have been somehow responsible for the oubreak, it would be dealt with "according to law."