After spreading to Thailand, South Korea and Japan, a novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has been discovered in the United States.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday that a person, who traveled to Seattle from China, was diagnosed with the virus. It’s the first known case of the virus in America and comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to meet to decide if the outbreak constitutes an international emergency.
The virus, known as 2019-nCoV, is a strain that hasn’t previously been identified in humans, according to WHO, and causes a type of pneumonia. An analysis of the virus’ genetic code showed it was most similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), according to BBC. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
According to this Associated Press, about 300 cases have been reported and many of those infected have a link to a seafood and animal market in Wuhan. Initially believed to spread from animals to people because of the connection to the market, cases of people contracting the virus without being exposed to the market now indicate to the CDC that it can also spread through human contact.
Newsweek reached out to the CDC but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Outside of China, cases have been reported in Japan, South Korea and Thailand and on Friday, the CDC announced the risk to the American public was low. However, in an act of “proactive preparedness,” the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection would implement additional health screenings at three major U.S. airports.
