Local Ebola epidemic unlikely thanks to Hong Kong's experience, expert says

The man who co-discovered the deadly Ebola virus says the chance of the epidemic in West Africa spreading to Hong Kong is "very, very small" because of the city's experience in dealing with serious outbreaks of disease.

Peter Piot, the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the knowledge gained in handling the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in 2003 was one of the city's best defences against the Ebola virus, which has claimed more than 1,500 lives in West Africa in recent months.

As Ebola was not transmitted through the air, the city was relatively safe, Piot, 65, told the Sunday Morning Post. "Hong Kong has experienced big epidemics of flu and Sars and the main reason is because they are airborne. In a highly densely populated city, airborne viruses are a major risk," he said.

"Whereas [Ebola] is only transmissible through close contact with an individual who is ill with Ebola, or with contaminated needles and syringes."

Piot, who will visit the city in October for a symposium co-hosted by Hong Kong University, said that while nowhere was immune to an outbreak, the risk to Hong Kong was minuscule.

"Given the level of hospital hygiene and professionalism in Hong Kong hospitals and health facilities, the risk that this would give rise to an epidemic is very, very small," Piot said.