Chlamydia was discovered in two specimens from the lungs of patients who died from the disease.

Chlamydia has been identified as the cause of a pneumonia outbreak that hit six cities in South China's Guangdong Province this month, experts said on Tuesday.

Chlamydia, a virus-like bacterium, was discovered in two specimens from the lungs of patients who died from the disease.

The findings were announced by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in co-operation with the Guangdong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The particles of chlamydia in the lung cell plasma were also very typical, the two centres said in a report.

Centre experts said chlamydia could spread through secretions from the respiratory tract, aerosols, or exposure to patients and birds infected with pneumonia.

Clinical symptoms of patients infected with chlamydia were pneumonia and bronchitis, the experts said.

They said the epidemic has been brought under control, with no cases reported since last Monday.

The experts said antibiotics could be very effective in treating chlamydia-related pneumonia if taken in sufficient quantity over a sufficient period of time.

Guangdong provincial government officials said a total of 305 patients had been infected with the atypical pneumonia by February 12, with five deaths reported.

"We still need more time to conduct more tests to identify the viruses and the sources of the viruses," said Song Yugang, president of Guangzhou-based Nanfang Hospital affiliated to the China No 1 Military University of Medical Science.

"The atypical pneumonia can spread quickly in the early stage of outbreak, but the disease will gradually disappear in the later stages, with a reduction of the number of victims being infected."

Song's hospital has received a total of 21 patients with atypical pneumonia. A total of 10 have already recovered after treatment while the rest are expected to leave hospital within a week.

According to the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Health, no new pneumonia cases have been reported in the province in the past 10 days. And about 80 per cent of affected people have been discharged from hospital.

Shops, supermarkets and precincts were reporting business as usual yesterday after the sudden panic buying spree last week.

Store shelves were swept clean of Chinese herbals, antibiotics, vinegar and other related products which are believed to be able to kill the viruses.

Editor: Wings