Shanghai authorities seek to reassure over Ebola outbreak

Shanghai's disease prevention and control authority said that residents should not panic about the Ebola outbreak in west Africa but ought to be cautious if travelling there.

The outbreak remains a regional problem in Africa since transmission is through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Prevention and Control said.

This is unlike, for instance, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which is an airborne disease, said the center.

An acute infectious diseases expert with the center said it was unlikely that Ebola would cause a worldwide epidemic.

The expert said Shanghai residents should consult with the center before travelling to Africa and avoid infected areas there.

The current outbreak of Ebola in west Africa has claimed more than 800 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.