1st case of novel coronavirus reported in US

WASHINGTON - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday that the first case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been reported in the United States.

A man in his 30s traveling from Wuhan of central China to Washington state on Jan. 15 was diagnosed with pneumonia.

A clinical specimen was collected and sent to CDC overnight, and lab testing confirmed on Monday that it was caused by the new coronavirus.

CDC officials said at a telebriefing that the man hospitalized at a hospital outside Seattle was "in good condition," posing little risk of infecting others.

The CDC has started an investigation into the new case, including potentially tracing close contacts to determine if anyone else has become ill.

The case was detected prior to the implementation of screening at three US airports last Friday, according to CDC.

The CDC and the US Department of Homeland Security implemented enhanced health screenings starting on Jan. 17 at San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles airports to detect ill travelers on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan.

The CDC also activated an emergency operation center to provide ongoing support to the disease response and intensified its collaborations with health authorities of other countries.

The CDC said in a press release that limited person-to-person spread is happening but it's unclear how easily this virus is spreading between people.

Chinese health authorities said Tuesday that 291 confirmed cases of new coronavirus-related pneumonia and 54 suspected cases had been reported in the country by the end of Monday.