French authorities have confirmed two cases of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus, its Health Minister Agnes Buzyn has announced. The affected patients – one in Paris, another in Bordeaux – are the first diagnosed carriers in Europe since the flu-like illness first surfaced in China in December.
The virus, which is believed to have first spread from animals to humans at a food market in Wuhan, has killed more than two dozen people so far and infected at least 800 more. The patient in Bordeaux had returned from a trip to Wuhan on Wednesday.
Chinese authorities have restricted public movement in 13 cities, affecting a combined population of over 23 million people.
Infections have also been confirmed in Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States, prompting health authorities in the affected countries and elsewhere to set up screenings at airports and entry points, in an effort to detect signs of the illness.