Britain advises against all but essential travel to Wuhan after virus outbreak

FILE PHOTO: Foreign domestic workers wear masks to protect themselves from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), in Hong Kong

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is advising against all but essential travel to Wuhan in China after the outbreak of a new flu-like virus in the city, the foreign office said on Wednesday.

"In light of the latest medical information, including reports of some person-to-person transmission, and the Chinese authorities' own advice, we are now advising against all but essential travel to Wuhan," a statement said. Deaths from the previously unknown coronavirus strain rose to 17 on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Guy Faulconbridge and William James, editing by Stephen Addison)