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Travelers' Health
Pneumonia of Unknown Cause in China
Warning - Level 3, Avoid Nonessential Travel
Alert - Level 2, Practice Enhanced Precautions
Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions

Key Points
There is a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. The cause is not yet known, nor is the mode of transmission.
The cluster is centered at the Wuhan South China Seafood City (also called the South China Seafood Wholesale Market
and the Hua Nan Seafood Market). The market has been closed since January 1, 2020, for cleaning and disinfection.
Travelers to Wuhan, China, should avoid living or dead animals, animal markets, and contact with sick people.
The situation is evolving. This notice will be updated as more information becomes available.

What is the current situation?
There is a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. As of January 5, 2020, local, provincial, and national health
commissions in China have reported a total of 59 cases with no deaths. The cluster is centered at the Wuhan South China
Seafood City (also called the South China Seafood Wholesale Market and the Hua Nan Seafood Market). In addition to
seafood, the market sells chickens, bats, marmots, and other wild animals. The market has been closed since January 1, 2020,
for cleaning and disinfection.
Health authorities in China are monitoring more than 150 close contacts for illness. To date, there have been no reports of
spread from person to person or to health care workers.
Symptoms include fever and di culty breathing. Though the cause of this cluster is unknown, there is concern that it is a
virus. Local authorities have reported negative laboratory results for seasonal in uenza, avian in uenza, adenovirus, and two
speci c coronaviruses known to cause respiratory illness (severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] and Middle East
respiratory syndrome [MERS]).

What can travelers do to protect themselves?
Travelers to Wuhan should
Avoid animals (alive or dead), animal markets, and products that come from animals (such as uncooked meat).
Avoid contact with sick people.
Wash hands often with soap and water.
If you traveled to Wuhan and feel sick, you should
Stay home. Except for seeking medical care, avoid contact with others.
Don’t travel while sick.
Seek medical care right away. Before you go to a doctor’s o ce or emergency room, call ahead and tell the doctor about
your recent travel and your symptoms.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

Clinician Information
As of this posting, case-patients in the cluster reportedly have had fever, di culty breathing, and bilateral lung in ltrates on
chest radiograph. For patients with similar respiratory symptoms who recently traveled to Wuhan, consider pneumonia
related to the cluster and notify infection control personnel and your local health department immediately.
Although the etiology and transmission dynamics have yet to be determined, CDC recommends a cautious approach to
symptomatic patients with a history of travel to Wuhan. Ask such patients to don a surgical mask as soon as they are
identi ed. Conduct their evaluation in a private room with the door closed. Personnel entering the room to evaluate the
patient should use contact precautions and wear an N95 disposable facepiece respirator. For patients admitted for inpatient
care, implement contact and airborne isolation precautions, in addition to standard precautions, until further information
becomes available. For additional infection control guidance see:
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/isolation/index.html.

This notice was originally posted January 6, 2020.

Page last reviewed: January 06, 2020
Content source: National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Division of Global Migration and Quarantine (DGMQ)