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A new strain of coronavirus is spreading around the world after originating at a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
In China, 56 people have died with 1,975 cases recorded. as the country steps up its response to the crisis by restricting movements and closing tourist sites.
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Cases have also been confirmed in Europe, North America and several Asian countries, stoking fears of a global pandemic during the Lunar New Year, China’s peak travel season.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that the respiratory illness is an emergency in China but said last week that it was too early to declare it a public health emergency of international concern.
Here are the countries that have so far confirmed cases of the new coronavirus:
Australia
Australia on January 25 confirmed its first case of the virus: a man who arrived in Melbourne from China a week ago.
Authorities said they were contacting people who had travelled on the same plane from China and offering advice.
Later that day, authorities said three men in Sydney who had recently arrived from China had tested positive for the disease and were in isolation in local hospitals.
China
As of January 26, 1,975 people had been confirmed infected across China, most of them in and around Wuhan.
Fifty-six people have died, nearly all in the Hubei province, but officials have confirmed four deaths elsewhere – one in Hebei province, one in northeastern Heilongjiang province, one in Henan province and the fourth in the city of Shanghai.
The city of Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed five cases.
In Hong Kong, six people are known to have the disease, with more than 380 suspected cases reported.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam later declared the outbreak an “emergency” – the city’s highest warning tier – and said all official celebrations of the Lunar New Year would be cancelled.
France
There are three known cases of the coronavirus in France, the first European country to be affected.
A 48-year-old man is in hospital in Bordeaux. He had recently travelled to Wuhan and returned to France via the Netherlands.
Two others have been hospitalised in Paris, one of whom is a relative of one of the other infected patients in France.
All three had recently travelled to China and had now been placed in isolation.
France’s health minister has said it is likely that there will be more cases and that authorities are surveying all the people that the patients came into contact with after arriving in France.
Japan
Japan‘s health authorities confirmed a third case on January 25. The country’s health ministry said a woman in her 30s who lives in Wuhan had contracted the virus.
The country’s first case was reported by the health ministry last week: a man who had visited Wuhan and was hospitalised on January 10, four days after his return to Japan.
Local media said the second patient was a man in his 40s who was originally from Wuhan and on a trip to Japan.
Malaysia
Malaysia confirmed four cases on January 25. All were Chinese nationals on holiday from Wuhan who arrived in the country from Singapore two days earlier.
The most recently confirmed was a 40-year-old man who was being treated in hospital.
A 66-year-old woman and two boys, aged two and 11, were in a stable condition and being kept in an isolation ward at a public hospital, Malaysia’s health minister said.
They are all relatives of a man who was found to be infected in Singapore.
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Nepal
Nepal said a 32-year-old man arriving from Wuhan had tested positive for the deadly disease.
The patient, who was initially quarantined, recovered and was discharged. The government said that surveillance has been increased at the airport “and suspicious patients entering Nepal are being monitored”.
Singapore
Singapore has announced at least three cases – a 66-year-old man and his 37-year-old son, who arrived in Singapore on January 20 from Wuhan, and a 52-year-old Wuhan woman, who arrived in the city-state on January 21.
South Korea
South Korea confirmed its third case of the virus on January 26.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a 54-year-old South Korean resident of Wuhan who arrived back home on January 20 tested positive for the virus.
He was placed in isolation on January 25 for tests and treatment the KCDC said.
South Korea reported its first case on January 20: a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan.
A South Korean man in his 50s who returned from working in Wuhan was confirmed as the second case on January 24.
Both remain in treatment and are in stable conditions.
Taiwan
Taiwan has uncovered three cases so far. It has since advised against travel to Wuhan and Hubei province and on January 24 said any arrivals from Wuhan would be rejected by immigration.
All arrivals from the rest of China – including Hong Kong and Macau – must fill out health declaration forms on arrival.
It has also banned the export of face masks for a month to ensure domestic supplies.
Thailand
Thailand has detected five cases so far: four Chinese nationals from Wuhan and a 73-year-old Thai woman who came back from the Chinese city this month.
Two of the Chinese patients were treated, and have since recovered and travelled back to China, the Thai health ministry said this week.
United States
On January 26, the US announced a third confirmed case in Orange County, California. The patient is a traveler from Wuhan and was in a good condition in isolation in a local hospital, the OC Health Agency said.
A woman in her 60s living in Chicago was confirmed on January 24 to have the virus, while a man in his 30s living near Seattle became the first confirmed case in the US on January 21.
Both were treated and are recovering.
Vietnam
Vietnam on January 23 confirmed two cases of the virus: an infected man from Wuhan travelled to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month and passed the virus on to his son.
Both were being treated in hospital and are stable, Vietnamese health officials said.
