The deadly Wuhan virus has spread to the US - authorities have confirmed a case in Washington state

• The US has its first case of a deadly coronavirus known as the Wuhan virus.
• The virus, which can be transmitted between humans, likely originated at a seafood market in Wuhan, China.
• The US patient in question reportedly flew from China to Washington state.
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A mysterious virus that originated in China has spread to the United States: A case has been identified in Washington state.

The outbreak likely started at a seafood market in Wuhan, the most populous city in central China. It has since spread to South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Two cases have been recorded in Thailand, while each other country so far has one confirmed case.

So far, the virus - known as the Wuhan virus, or 2019-nCoV - has infected an estimated 300 people and killed six.

Chinese officials first suspected that the virus could only spread from animals to humans, but later confirmed that humans can transmit the virus to one other.

The cases outside China have incited fears of a global epidemic, as hundreds of millions of people prepare to travel for the Chinese New Year, which begins on Saturday and lasts until February 8.

Authorities are trying to stop the spread of the virus

Some patients who have contracted the Wuhan virus reported symptoms such fever, chills, headaches, and sore throat. A few had difficulty breathing.

The virus belongs to the coronavirus family: a large group of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tract. Coronaviruses can lead to illnesses like the common cold, pneumonia, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a potentially fatal illness that hasn't been reported anywhere since 2004.

A viral outbreak of SARS that started in China in November 2002 resulted in 8,000 cases and 774 deaths by July 2003. The outbreak spread to dozens of countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Recent research suggests that it may have spread to humans from horseshoe bats.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that three US airports - New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport - would begin screening passengers for the virus. Airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and South Korea are also closely screening passengers for fever.