A new virus that has killed nine people, infected hundreds could mutate and spread, China warned Wednesday, Eurasia Diary reports citing AFP.
In Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, authorities cancelled large public events and urged visitors to stay away, telling 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 said at a news conference in Beijing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to determine whether to declare a rare global public health emergency over the disease, which has now been detected in the United States, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Macau.