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HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong hospitals will use the HIV drug Kaletra, together with ribavirin, to treat SARS patients if the territory is hit by a second wave of the deadly disease, its hospital chief said on Thursday.

Experts have warned that the disease could return during the winter months and countries in the region are arming themselves with drugs and elaborate contingency plans for what may be another onslaught of the disease.

Hospital Authority chief William Ho said an analysis of the treatments given to all SARS patients in Hong Kong showed that a small group given both Kaletra and ribavirin had a significantly lower death rate than those given only ribavirin.



Those who were administered both drugs also needed lower dosages of steroids, he added.

"Only ribavirin may not be useful but both ribavirin and Kaletra look more promising," Ho told a news conference.

"If SARS comes, all hospitals will cooperate and use what's believed to be the best treatment protocol."

Hong Kong used a combination of the drug ribavirin and steroids to treat the bulk of its nearly 1,800 SARS patients earlier this year, but experts elsewhere have repeatedly questioned the use of ribavirin, saying it was ineffective.

Nearly 300 SARS patients in Hong Kong died of the disease, which killed more than 800 people worldwide.