No need for Ebola panic in China: WHO spokesman

Chinese people have no need to fear that the Ebola virus will spread to their country, said World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Paul Garwood, according to xinhuanet.com.

The current Ebola outbreak has been limited to the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Tourists are very unlikely to get infected with the virus at the epidemic area, the WHO announced earlier. The Ebola virus is spread mainly through direct contact with infected blood, excretions, or other bodily fluids, as well as with the dead bodies of the infected.

Hong Kong on Wednesday also denied receiving any reports of suspected Ebola cases. Reports that afternoon had said a Hong Kong woman was suffering from fever, dizziness and vomiting, which are initial symptoms of Ebola, after returning from Kenya. However, she later tested negative for the virus, reports said.

The WHO has yet to issue a travel or trade ban on the epidemic area.

But Garwood suggested that all countries should intensify monitoring of the virus. If travelers returning from the epidemic area exhibit similar symptoms in three weeks, they should ask local medical departments for help and report their travel details, Garwood added.

The Ebola virus, which broke out in West Africa in February, has caused 672 deaths in the area, according to a WHO report.