Health authorities in central China's Wuhan city said Saturday that four new people were infected with a mysterious virus from the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus that had previously killed two people, and that the total number of confirmed cases in the city had risen to 45.
On the other hand, scientists fear that the number of infections with the virus is greater than the number announced by the authorities, possibly moving it to hundreds of people, expecting that the number reached 1723 infected, according to information available to them until January 12 this year.
A report issued by researchers at Imperial College London - a research university specializing in cooperation with the World Health Organization - shows that the actual number of cases is perhaps 40 times higher than the number announced by the official authorities.
The researchers based on this summary the number of cases detected outside China - two in Thailand and one in Japan - to conclude the number of people injured in Wuhan based on the database of international flights leaving from Wuhan Airport.
The causative agents of the disease are believed to be a new type of coronavirus, a strain that includes a greater number of viruses ranging from regular flu to more serious diseases such as acute inflammatory respiratory syndrome.
The investigation by the Chinese authorities allowed it to be concluded that a number of the injured were working in the Wuhan market, which specializes in the wholesale sale of seafood and fish.
The World Health Organization has warned hospitals around the world of a possible spread of the virus, and is trying with China and other countries to prevent its spread before the Lunar New Year holiday next week, during which many of China's 1.4 billion people travel abroad.