China Virus Hits Japan, First Wuhan Coronavirus Patient Confirmed in Kanagawa

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare issued a statement Thursday that a Chinese man living in Japan is the second confirmed case of infection by the new coronavirus outside of China’s borders. The first case of the exported virus, recently discovered in Wuhan, China, was in Bangkok, Thailand, where a woman was hospitalized for five days.

Both victims had recently been in Wuhan. The man developed a fever on Jan. 3, three days before he returned to Japan. The woman in the Thailand case had been with a tour group where she developed symptoms, also three days prior to arriving in Bangkok.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has named the coronavirus 2019-nCoV as a new strain identified last Thursday.

The new virus strain is raising global fears because it has similarities with the SARS-CoV or SARS virus. The SARS outbreak of 2003 infected over 8,000 people and killed 774, according to the WHO. About 600 of the deaths occurred in mainland China. So far, 41 people in Wuhan have tested positive for the Wuhan virus, with only one death reported.

Some of the 41 infected people in Wuhan had visited the Huanan seafood market where aside from fish, the market sold live animals including poultry, bats and marmots, prompting concern that the pathogen emerged from an animal source.

The Red Star News reported a posting on Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter) that he or she has seen wild chickens, snakes, and marmots killed for sale in the market. The text of the post read, "In addition to the seafood, the market also sold live cats, dogs, snakes, and marmots. There was even a signboard saying that they have live monkeys and deer for sale."

The Japanese and Bangkok cases add some mystery to the origin as both victims had not visited the market during their stay in China.

China and other Asian countries are ramping up efforts to contain the virus. The Lunar New Year travel season is under way so the number of travelers leaving Wuhan, a major transport hub, is expected to increase. The Chinese New Year’s festival that lasts eight days beginning Jan. 25 will only add to the challenges.

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport has installed electronic temperature sensors at all terminal exits and passengers can be quarantined if their body temperature is confirmed to be 100 degrees F (38 C). All viruses have an incubation period where the infected person will show no symptoms, making it probable that they will not be singled out by the detectors.

The U.S. State Department issued a health alert about Wuhan on Wednesday, asking people to avoid contact with animals, animal markets or animal products, along with other precautions.