A central Maine man suspected of having a mysterious and sometimes deadly respiratory disease has fully recovered, state health officials said Friday.

Federal authorities counted the 55-year-old man from the Lewiston-Auburn area among 22 suspected sufferers of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in the United States. Roughly 350 suspected cases have been identified worldwide.

The man reportedly developed a fever and a cough a few weeks ago after his wife returned from Asia, where the disease is believed to have originated.

“We’re continuing to monitor a handful of his close contacts during the time he was sick,” said state Bureau of Health Director Dora Anne Mills, who stressed there was no evidence the man actually contracted the disease that has killed about 10 people worldwide. “It’s very likely [he was] affected by a common virus.”

Mills said state health officials reported the man’s illness, although mild, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention because of his wife’s recent travels.

The man’s wife also had a mild respiratory ailment upon her return, Mills said, but was not counted among the suspected U.S. cases because she quickly recovered without seeking medical attention.

State health officials have since received six reports of suspected cases – none of which fits the disease’s criteria.

However, medical staffs were asked to continue watching for symptoms of the flulike illness that has spread outside of Asia in the last three weeks, according to the World Health Organization.

The cause of SARS remains unknown, but experts believe the most likely explanation is a new virus. There is no known treatment.

In Maine, Mills emphasized that the public should not panic.

“So far, there is no evidence of the illness spreading in Maine,” said Mills, noting that it is believed to be spread by close – not casual – contact.

State epidemiologist Dr. Kathleen Gensheimer said that epidemiological investigations often cast a wide net and include a lot of people who may not actually be infected, including the central Maine man.

Besides the Maine case, the CDC is investigating 21 possible domestic cases in 11 other states: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Abroad, the World Health Organization is monitoring suspected and probable cases of the disease in Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

Mills pointed out that the Canadian cases have been limited to the Toronto area, where two people have died.

The only other suspected case in New England cited by the CDC involves a Cambridge, Mass., man who returned from a trip to Hong Kong and Singapore late last week, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The man, who had a fever and a cough, is almost fully recovered, though he has not yet returned to work, a spokeswoman said.

Hong Kong has been the hardest-hit area, where more than 170 people are believed to be infected. Six have died.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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