Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region announced the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus pneumonia on Thursday, the local health authorities said.

The virus was first detected in Wuhan city, Central China, in December 2019. It is believed to have originated from wild animals, passing to humans due to the wildlife trade and wet markets. The virus spread to other China provinces in early and mid-January 2020, helped by the Chise new year migration.

Cases started to be detected in other countries, carried by international travelers, typically to major trade partners: Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., Singapore, Vietnam, France, Nepal, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sri Lanka. (ILKHA)