The deadly coronavirus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province, and later spread to several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, while cases of infection have also been registered in the United States and France.

The Malaysian health minister has confirmed that three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus have been registered in the country.

All three patients are now being treated in Sungai Buloh Hospital and are in stable condition, according to the ministry. They are members of the same family and are Chinese nationals, Minister of Health Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.

The patients are identified as the wife and two grandchildren of a 66-year-old man from China's Wuhan, who was previously diagnosed with the same virus by the Singapore Ministry of Health three days ago.

TERKINI: Tiga warga China yang memasuki negara ini melalui Johor Bharu disahkan positif novel coronavirus #2019_nCov



Mereka kini dirawat di Hosp Sg Buloh dan dlm keadaan stabil.



Mereka adalah ahli keluarga terdekat dgn kes pertama yg berlaku Singapura. -@DrDzul pic.twitter.com/dWQxp4Zlzu — KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) January 25, 2020

An outbreak of previously unknown pneumonia, later identified as a new strain of coronavirus, originated in Wuhan in late November and has since claimed the lives of at least 41 Chinese people. As of now, more than 1,200 cases of the novel coronavirus have been registered in China in total.

The Wuhan coronavirus has already spread to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, the United States, France, and Australia.

China's authorities confirmed the virus can be transmitted from human to human.