Coronavirus: Where is it?

In this photo taken on 25 January, 2020, medical staff wearing protective clothing to protect against a previously unknown coronavirus arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan. (AFP Photo)

A virus similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pathogen has claimed 56 lives since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and spread around the world.

Here are the places that have confirmed cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus:

China

As of Sunday, almost 2,000 people have been infected across China, the bulk of them in and around Wuhan.

Nearly all of the 56 who have died were in the Wuhan region, but officials have confirmed at least four deaths elsewhere.

The city of Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed five cases as of Sunday.

In Hong Kong, six people are known to have the disease. Of those, five arrived via a newly built high-speed train terminal which connects with the mainland.

France

There are three known cases of the coronavirus in France, the first European country to be affected by the outbreak.

One person is sick in Bordeaux and another is ill in Paris. A third person, who is a close relative of one of the other two, has also been confirmed to have the virus.

All three had recently travelled to China and have now been placed in isolation.

Japan

Japan's health authorities confirmed the country's fourth case on Saturday: a man in his 40s, visiting Japan from Wuhan, who is currently in hospital in a stable condition.

Another man was hospitalised on 10 January, four days after his return from a visit to Wuhan.

And a further two people from the Chinese city – a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s – have also been treated in hospital for fever.

Australia

Australia confirmed its first four cases of the virus on Saturday.

One man in Melbourne and three men in Sydney tested positive and are being treated in hospital isolation units after arriving in the country from Wuhan.

United States

The United States (US) has confirmed three cases of the virus in patients who had recently entered the country from Wuhan.

A man aged in his 30s reported himself to authorities on 19 January after returning to his home near Seattle. 

On Friday, public health authorities said the virus had been detected in a Chicago woman in her 60s, and on Saturday a traveller from Wuhan in California was confirmed as the third infected person on US soil.

Canada

Canada said Saturday it had identified its first "presumptive" case of the virus in a man who returned to Toronto from Wuhan.

The patient is aged in his 50s and has been placed in isolation.

Malaysia

Malaysia confirmed its fourth case on Sunday. All are Chinese nationals on holiday from Wuhan who arrived in the country from Singapore.

A 66-year-old woman and two boys, aged two and 11, are in stable condition, Malaysia's health minister said Saturday.

The latest confirmed case is a 40-year-old man who entered the country on a bus with a Chinese tour group.

Nepal

Nepal said a 32-year-old man arriving from Wuhan had the disease.

The patient, who was initially quarantined, recovered and was discharged.

Singapore

Singapore announced its fourth case of the coronavirus on Sunday. All four patients had arrived in the city-state from Wuhan over the last week. 

South Korea

South Korean media reported the country's third case on Sunday.

The patients include two South Korean men, both aged in their 50s and working in Wuhan, who returned to South Korea earlier this week.

The country reported its first case on 20 January – a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan.

Taiwan

Taiwan has uncovered four cases so far – the latest a woman in her fifties who was in Wuhan for a sight-seeing tour and returned home voluntarily on 25 January. 

Thailand

Thailand has detected eight cases so far – three of whom are receiving treatment in hospital and five of whom have been discharged, according to a statement from Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.

All the infected persons are Chinese nationals, except for a 73-year-old Thai woman who came back from Wuhan this month.

Vietnam

Vietnam confirmed two cases of the virus on Thursday. An infected man from Wuhan travelled to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month and passed the virus on to his son.

Suspected case in Austria

A Chinese flight attendant who arrived in Vienna on Friday has been quarantined in hospital since late Saturday with flu symptoms. The woman is believed to have recently been in Wuhan.

Authorities said it would take up to 48 hours to confirm whether the woman had contracted the virus. - AFP