An American citizen has been confirmed to have contracted a virus that began in China - leading to fears of an international pandemic.
The man, who is in his 30s, is in a good condition in a hospital near Seattle after returning from China in the middle of last week, according to health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has begun tracking down individuals who came in contact with the patient to check them for symptoms.
Six people have died from the illness in Wuhan in China.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes coronaviruses as a large family of viruses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as SARS.
The US is the fifth country to report seeing the illness, following China, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
Officials in China confirmed on Monday that the new mystery virus - which has no cure - can spread between humans.
The WHO has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday to consider declaring an international health emergency, a move only used for the worst epidemics.
