Six more in isolation over mystery illness

Since January 4, the government has been monitoring visitors to Hong Kong as fears spread about a mysterious disease in Wuhan. File photo: AP

Six more people in Hong Kong have been placed in isolation over fears that they may have contracted an unidentified viral pneumonia that's broken out in Wuhan, bringing the total in isolation to more than 50.



The patients, aged between three and 39, were admitted with fever, respiratory infection or pneumonia symptoms on Friday.



Since New Year's Eve, a total of 54 people have been put in isolation after falling sick following trips to Wuhan.



State media on the mainland reported on Thursday that the mystery illness in the Hubei provincial capital, Wuhan, is believed to be a new type of coronavirus that's different from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers), although it's from the same family of viruses.



Wuhan authorities say 59 people are suspected to have caught the new virus in the past couple of weeks, with seven patients seriously ill.



Mainland transport authorities said on Thursday that they're stepping up disease prevention efforts at transport hubs across the country to try to prevent the spread of the new virus, with hundreds of millions of people set to travel during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays.



Taiwan and Singapore are also on high alert after reporting their own suspected cases.



Officials in Wuhan have linked the outbreak to a seafood market in the city which also sells game meat.