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* U.S. health officials warn pandemic likely
* Miner Rio Tinto slips after flagging virus impact
* FTSE 100 down 0.5%, FTSE 250 dips 0.3%
Feb 26 (Reuters) - UK shares tumbled for a fifth straight
session on Wednesday, as a U.S. warning to brace for a
coronavirus pandemic raised fears of widespread disruptions to
supply chains, while Rio Tinto became the latest company to flag
a hit from the outbreak.
The Anglo-Australian miner RIO.L said it would see a
short-term impact from the epidemic, which has infected about
80,000 people and killed more than 2,700. Its shares were flat
in early trading as it posted its best underlying earnings since
2011. With the deadly virus spreading rapidly outside China, the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has alerted
Americans to begin preparing for a likely pandemic. London's export-laden FTSE 100 .FTSE slid 0.5% to a
one-year low, while the domestically focussed mid-cap index
.FTMC shed 0.3%.
Sectors reliant on China for revenue, including miners
.FTNMX1770 and luxury goods makers .FTNMX3760 , fell between
0.5% and 0.7%.