Islamabad, Jan 29 (IANS): Four Pakistani students studying in the Chinese city of Wuhan have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a government official said here on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza said that a large proportion of the Pakistanis living in China were students of which over 500 were based in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, Dawn news reported.

Mirza however, said that no case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in Pakistan yet.

"There is not even one confirmed case of coronavirus inside Pakistan," he said, adding that there were four individuals suspected of having the virus who were then kept under observation.

Mirza said that their health was improving and as per evidence, they could say with a great degree of certainty that the individuals do not have coronavirus.

The new virus has so far killed 132 people and infected 5,974 in China.

In South Asia, Sri Lanka and Nepal have confirmed one case each.