A patient in Arkansas is being tested for coronavirus, state health officials said Wednesday.
State Department of Health spokesperson Meg Mirivel said the agency has been working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if the patient met criteria for testing. Mirivel said the CDC agreed that further testing was warranted.
Mirivel said health officials are working with the patient’s healthcare provider. She did not release further details, such as where in Arkansas the patient is located.
More than 6,000 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in 16 countries, according to the World Health Organization. The overwhelming majority of cases are in China, where 132 deaths have been linked to the virus and multiple cities have been quarantined.
Coronaviruses, which are named for their appearance, are associated with respiratory illnesses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The viruses can infect animals and people. A coronavirus spurred the SARS outbreak in China in 2003 that left about 800 people dead.
Chinese scientists have reported that the coronavirus currently spreading is new.
Mirivel said the risk of becoming infected in Arkansas is low.
