China is in close contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) on respiratory diseases, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday in response to questions about an increase in cases of the human pneumonia virus (HMPV) in China.

The Chinese government takes the health of its citizens and foreigners very seriously, said ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqun at a regular press briefing, noting that the virus is not new and has been spreading among humans for more than 60 years.

Guo added that infection with the virus is a “self-limiting disease” and expressed concern that common viruses are being over-hyped as “unknown”, which he described as contrary to sound scientific reasoning.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday it was in contact with health officials in China and had received no reports of unusual outbreak patterns.