(Yicai Global) Dec. 31 -- A pneumonia stemming from unknown causes has recently cropped up in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and the biggest city in the middle of China.

Wuhan disease control specialists have deployed to hospitals treating the 27 victims thus far confirmed to collect samples from these patients, according to a city health commission document released today.

The specific virus which is the culprit behind the outbreak still awaits identification through testing, but transmission does not appear to be human-to-human at this point. Seven of the cases are severe, but the others are stable and controllable and two patients who have improved are expected to be discharged from hospital soon.

Medical professionals have provided isolation therapy to victims without adversely affecting regular patients' medical treatment, a health commission staffer told Yicai Global, adding the test results will soon be made public.

Cases of this mystery pneumonia have popped up one after another in the city's hospitals and clinics, according to a commission document issued today, which directed hospitals to bolster management of their emergency treatment and outpatient clinics and urged them to actively treat patients, with no effort spared and to not shirk their duty when they detect a new case of the malaise.

Patients with the lung infection came most frequently from a local food market, per the notice, and the health commission is now checking its hygiene and environment.

The mystery pneumonia induces the following symptoms, which are a fever, difficulty breathing in a minority of patients, and double lung infiltrative lesions on chest radiographs.

Its 11.1 million permanent residents make Wuhan the most populous metropolis in China's central region, public data show.

Editors: Ben Armour