Two people from Washtenaw County and one person from Macomb County may have the Wuhan coronavirus, state health officials said Friday afternoon.

They're the latest in a quickly spreading global outbreak that appears to have started in December at a seafood market in Wuhan, China. So far, hundreds have been sickened and 41 people have died, USA Today reported.

All three people from Michigan who are being tested for the virus have presented with mild illness, and all recently traveled to the Wuhan area of China or were in contact with travelers to that region, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

They all have agreed to stay isolated until their cases can be definitively identified by testing from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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"I can tell you that neither of the two folks that have had their specimens approved for testing are severely ill," in Washtenaw County, said Susan Ringler Cerniglia, a spokeswoman for the Washtenaw County Health Department.

"They are isolated as a precaution until we know for sure. One thing we don't know is how quickly it spreads from person to person, so we're keeping people isolated until we know how contagious it is.

"They are having mild symptoms. They both have this combination we're worried about — it's exposure to Wuhan, China, and the respiratory symptoms. Anyone who has traveled anywhere in China and is experiencing respiratory symptoms should check in with a health care provider."

It's unclear, Ringler Cerniglia said, how quickly test results will come back from the samples submitted to the CDC.

"The earliest it looks like we'll have results is Sunday, but it's not definitive," she said. So, as a precaution, the people are being asked to stay home.

"Neither of them are ill enough to be hospitalized," she said. "We're figuring out what their contacts look like, if any, including household contacts. Until we know whether the testing is positive, that's as far as we're going to go."

The person in Macomb County who was tested for coronavirus was treated at a local hospital, said William Ridella, director of the Macomb County Health Department.

"They were seen at a local hospital where specimens were collected, and those specimens were sent to the Centers for Disease Control for evaluation," he said, noting that there is no concern that the person may have infected others at the hospital.

"The hospital took appropriate precautions because they are aware of these matters, and they took appropriate steps," to ensure others were not exposed, Ridella said.

Nationally, two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Illinois and Washington state. At least 63 potential cases are under investigation in 22 states, and 11 were confirmed negative, according to USA Today. The coronavirus has now spread to Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea; all who've been infected had travel history to Wuhan. There are new reports that two cases have been confirmed in France, as well.

For now, the CDC is the only U.S. agency testing samples of suspected coronavirus cases. However, MDHHS officials said the Michigan State Laboratory is prepared to receive the specimens and send them to the CDC for testing. The CDC is working with the Federal Drug Administration and state public health laboratories to make testing more broadly available.

“At MDHHS, we recognize the potential threat associated with this virus and are working to identify any suspect cases in Michigan,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “Our goal is to quickly identify individuals with the virus and prevent any potential spread. We encourage health care providers to remain vigilant in screening patients for symptoms and travel history, and to contact their local health departments immediately if they see a potential case.”

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses common among animals and humans. In rare cases, the virus can be transmitted from animals to humans. This coronavirus is a newly discovered version that has not been previously detected in animals or humans.

Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure and include:

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

If anyone believes that they have symptoms and have recently traveled to Wuhan, China, or have been in contact with someone who has had the virus, they should call their health care provider or hospital prior to arriving so that the appropriate preventive measures can be put in place.

Public health screenings for travelers from Wuhan have been implemented at five U.S. airports including Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX).

More information is available at CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.