A SARS-like virus that has spread across China and reached three other Asian nations is contagious between humans, a government expert said fuelling fears of a major-outbreak as millions travel for the Lunar-New-Year-holiday. The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in the central-city of Wuhan, has caused alarm because of its connection to SARS, which killed nearly 650-people across mainland China and Hong-Kong in 2002-2003.