A new virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds and reached the United States could mutate and spread, China warned Wednesday, as authorities scrambled to contain the disease during the Lunar New Year travel season.
The coronavirus has caused alarm for its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, authorities cancelled large public events, called on visitors to stay away and urged residents not to leave the central Chinese city of 11 million people.
The illness is mainly transmitted via the respiratory tract and there “is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease”, National Health Commission vice-minister Li Bin told a news conference in Beijing.
He added that 1,394 people are still under medical observation, while 765 others have been discharged.
Virus source
A prominent expert from China’s National Health Commission confirmed this week that the virus can be passed between people.
However, animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak.
“We already know that the disease originated from a market which conducted illegal transaction of wild animals,” said Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention.
He said it was clear “this virus is adapting and mutating”.
Source: Guardian Newspaper
