A second patient has been admitted to a Dublin hospital with symptoms of the pneumonia virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
The patient who has recently returned from a trip to South East Asia is currently undergoing tests in hospital.
Dr Darina O'Flanagan of the National Disease Surveillance centre said the symptoms may not be associated with the virus.
Meanwhile, the man who was admitted to St James's Hospital yesterday also with symptoms of the virus is recovering. Dr O'Flanagan said the man's respiratory infection was not progressing to SARS.
Members of the expert group set up to monitor the pneumonia virus have said the risk of infection is very low and the disease can only be transmitted through close contact with an infected person.
The group met at the Department of Health this morning to discuss the implications of the virus here and worldwide.
Earlier, scientists in Hong Kong have claimed a breakthrough against a virulent form of pneumonia which is claiming more victims around the world.
The researchers have identified the mystery respiratory illness as a virus from the paramyxoviridae family, but say more work is needed to establish whether it is a new strain and whether it is curable.
Officially, seven people have died from the virus, and a further 250 people are suspected to have contracted it.
A 66-year-old French doctor who died early this morning was the latest victim of the illness, which has prompted a global health alert.
Five people have now died in Hong Kong from the illness, known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS. There have been two other deaths in Canada and two in Vietnam.
Health officials also suspect SARS was the cause of five deaths last month in southern China.
Shannon infant 'not SARS'
The six month old girl taken from a flight at Shannon yesterday has been diagnosed as suffering from pneumonia.
There had been fears the child taken off a flight en route from Paris to Atlanta was displaying symptoms of the SARS virus.
She is still being treated at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.
