American tourist test positive for coronavirus after taking Brahmaputra cruise tour for a week

As the coronavirus continues to spread across Asia and Europe, the small kingdom of Bhutan amid the steep Himalayas, reported the first case of the novel virus on Friday. A US citizen tested positive after spending at least a week on the Brahmaputra river cruise in Assam as part of his India tour last month just before he flew to the Himalayan country.

District Collector Jorhat Roshni Korati of Assam, in a statement, said that the foreigner had travelled to Jorhat on February 22 and proceeded to Guwahati via the river cruise MV Mahabaahu Brahmaputra on February 23.

The river cruise that has returned to Neematighat in Jorhat consisted of 22 guests and 29 crew members.

"We are monitoring the issue closely, and are equipped to deal with the situation. Hence, there is no need for panic," Korati in a statement.

Meanwhile, the crew as well as the passengers who travelled on the MV Mahabahu Brahmaputra cruise, from February 22-28, have been placed in isolation. In relief, the health team who have been monitoring the daily status of those quarantined informed that they are all asymptomatic.

As of March 6, India reported 31 cases of the deadly virus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last December.

Six days after Chinese state media reported the first known death from an illness caused by the virus which has already killed more than 3,000 people and spread to 60 countries, India began screening people at airports located at various parts across the country from January 17 onwards.