The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new coronavirus, which has resulted in more than a thousand confirmed cases in China, including cases outside Wuhan City. Additional cases have been identified in a growing number of other international locations,including the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is closely monitoring the situation and provides comprehensive and timely updates.
What are Coronaviruses?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that were first identified in the mid-1960s and are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Coronaviruses are not typically transmitted between animals and humans. With the discovery of 2019 Novel Coronavirus there are now seven strains of coronavirus known to be capable of transmission from animals to humans. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) CoV was responsible for a large outbreak in 2003 and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrom (MERS) CoV was responsible for an outbreak in 2012.
