U.S. sees first coronavirus case of unknown origin in Bay Area

FILE - In this image from a scanning electron microscope, the new coronavirus is in orange. FILE - In this image from a scanning electron microscope, the new coronavirus is in orange. Photo: Elizabeth Fischer / Courtesy NiAID Photo: Elizabeth Fischer / Courtesy NiAID Image 1 of / 72 Caption Close U.S. sees first coronavirus case of unknown origin in Bay Area 1 / 72 Back to Gallery

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday a new case of coronavirus in a Northern California resident, and at this time, the origin of the patient's infection is unknown.

Officials say the patient is a Solano County resident and is being treated in Sacramento County, according to the California Department of Public Health.

This is the first coronavirus case of unknown origin in the United States.

"It’s possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States," the CDC said in a statement. "Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It’s also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected."

This new case was identified by clinicians in the U.S. public health system, the CDC said.

The total number of people testing positive in the United States is now 60, with 45 of those patients linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was docked off Japan.

The CDC on Tuesday warned the American public to prepare for an an outbreak of the disease, which has spawned more than 81,000 cases around the world — mainly in China.

Up until today, the patient count in the United States has included only people who traveled back from outbreak areas in China or their spouses.

There have been nine cases in the Bay Area. Two Santa Clara County residents had traveled to Wuhan, and seven people were evacuated from a cruise ship docked in Japan. They were flown to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield and later transported to Bay Area hospitals for treatment.

Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.

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