Ebola virus unlikely to mutate: Chinese expert

A senior Chinese disease expert has called for caution against Ebola but not panic, saying the virus is stable and does not mutate as easily as those behind AIDS and flu.

Ebola, with a fatality rate of up to 90 percent, spreads through mucus and other body fluids or secretions such as stool, urine, saliva and semen of infected people. The virus has claimed nearly 1,000 lives in West Africa, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The virus is sensitive to heat and is killed by exposure to at least 60 degrees Celsius for one hour, or boiling for five minutes, said Dong Xiaoping, researcher with the virus department under the Chinese Center for Disease Control, on Tuesday.

Dong added that many disinfectants, such as chlorine and ultraviolet radiation, are also capable of terminating the virus.

According to the center, China has reported no Ebola infections so far but is strengthening border checks and preventive measures.

China has sent disease control experts as well as medical supplies to affected regions.