There has been another confirmed case of a mysterious new SARS-like virus . The Saudi health ministry informed the World Health Organization that a 39-year-old man was hospitalized with the novel coronavirus on February 28 and died two days later . So far , WHO has recorded 15 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus , including nine deaths , since the fall . The Saudi patient did not appear to have had any contact with anyone who was already infected . As a result , WHO is investigating other potential exposure sources . Symptoms . The novel coronavirus is in the same family as SARS . SARS , or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , virus sickened 8,000 people and killed 774 between 2002 and 2003 . Symptoms of the novel coronavirus include an acute respiratory infection , fever and a cough . And it could lead potentially to pneumononia and kidney failure . The first cases were found to have occurred in an Amman , Jordan , hospital , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Cases . Most of the people who 've caught the virus have been in the Middle East . But there have been cases reported in the United Kingdom as well . One of the U.K. patients had traveled to Saudi Arabia . Upon return , he infected two other family members . `` Once it gets you , it 's a very serious infection , '' said Dr. William Schaffner , an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville . Fortunately , he added , the virus is `` very difficult to acquire . '' While the SARS epidemic was going on , many of those caring for patients were infected too . The fact that this has n't been seen with these cases so far is a good sign , Schaffer said . Origin . It 's suspected that , like SARS , the virus originated in animals . A study published in November found that genetically , the new coronavirus was most closely related to viruses found in bats . While no cases have popped up in the United States , doctors say they wo n't be shocked if it did . `` It could happen , '' said Dr. Susan Gerber , a medical epidemiologist in the CDC 's Division of Viral Diseases . `` That 's why the CDC is working closely with the World Health Organization and other international partners . '' Spread . WHO has asked member states to keep an eye out for severe acute respiratory infections and review them for unusual patterns . It did not recommend travel or trade restrictions for countries where the virus has been found . Dr. Susan Gerber , a medical epidemiologist in the CDC 's Division of Viral Diseases , agrees . There 's no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission , she said , `` where you see a chain of many cases going person to person to person . '' `` People should n't freak out , '' she added . `` There 's no evidence that this virus is easily spread , say , across a room . ''
So far , there have been 15 confirmed cases . Comment: Doctor says it is `` very difficult to acquire '' WHO has not recommended travel or trade restrictions .