Wanted, men who flew with SARS patient

But there’s confusion about who should be tracking down the co-passengers travelling with him on board the 9.30 am Jet Airways Mumbai-Delhi flight. While municipal health authorities in Delhi say they have informed Mumbai officials and the Union Health Ministry, Digvijay Khanvilkar, Maharashtra’s Health Minister, says Delhi would be looking into the matter.

‘‘The patient was fortunately sitting on the window seat in the aircraft and the seat next to him was not occupied, the aisle seat was occupied. Protocol demands that at least two rows of passengers sitting around him in the aircraft have to be informed and examined. We have informed the authorities in Mumbai and the Union Health Ministry and they will have to trace the contacts,’’ says Dr K N Tiwari, MCD health officer.

After disembarking in Delhi, Murthy had visited his wife and spent an hour with her. The taxi driver who had driven him around in the Capital for about four-and-half hours was tracked down by health authorities at around 3 pm on April 26. Mumbai health authorities have advised home quarantine for some of his friends as they have not shown any symptoms yet.