SINGAPORE, Sept. 23 (Xinhuanet) -- An 11-member review panel, comprising Singaporean and international experts, said here Tuesday that the recent SARS patient most likely acquired the infection in the Environment Health Institute (EHI) laboratory where he had worked.

　　Dr. Antony Della-Porta, chairman of the panel, said at a press conference organized by Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday afternoon that from the results of its investigations, the panel has concluded that the patient most likely acquired the infection in the EHI laboratory.

　　Inappropriate laboratory procedures and a cross contamination of West Nile virus samples with SARS coronavirus in the laboratory led to the infection of the patient, said the World Health Organization (WHO) bio-safety expert.

　　"No evidence could be found of any other source of infection," he said.

　　The panel's conclusion is further supported by the results of the genome sequencings on the laboratory strain of SARS coronavirus and that of the patient's, the MOH said in a press release. Both genome sequences were found to be closely related, it said.

　　The ministry added that the panel also established that there is no evidence of secondary transmission and this is an isolated case of SARS.

　　The 27-year-old patient, who is a post-doctoral student investigating the West Nile virus at a laboratory in the National University of Singapore had visited the EHI facility several days before coming down with fever on Aug. 26. He later tested positive for the SARS disease.

　　The patient has been discharged from hospital but is still under a 14-day home quarantine. Enditem