HONOLULU -- Because of the spread of the mystery flu from Asia known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS, local medical supply-houses are running out of surgical masks.

The calls have been nonstop at Physician Sales and Service and other medical supply houses in Honolulu. People are calling for surgical masks.

SEVERE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME Overview FAQs Prevention Still Worried About Pandemic? All About SARS How SARS Works CDC Info. WHO Info.

The shelves used to be stacked high with cases now PSS is down to a few boxes.

"It's just masks (on) every call, not just doctors' offices and walk in people, its like everybody is calling," said Erika Melendez of PSS.

People in China apparently don't trust the masks made there. They want U.S. surgical masks.

"It's mostly from people who have relatives or friends in Hong Kong or the Far East and they want to buy mask to ship back to them," said Kathleen Hatcher of PSS.

Two U.S. companies make the masks: 3M and Kimberly Clark. Wholesalers said supplies are low and the companies are allocating existing stocks. Suppliers said there are enough for local hospitals, where the masks are needed in surgery.

One man walked into a medical supply warehouse locally and asked to buy 2,000 cases of surgical masks. Now, there's no place in the state where you can buy 2,000 of surgical masks. The purchase was probably a financial opportunity. An entire box of 35 masks costs between $30 to $45 in Hawaii. In China, people are paying $50 for one mask.

Medical experts say surgical masks are not the best protection. You need what's called a respirator, and those are in even shorter supply, officials said.