RIO DE JANEIRO — A 61-year-old man from São Paulo who returned recently from a business trip to Italy has tested positive for the coronavirus, Brazilian health officials said on Wednesday, confirming the first known case in Latin America. The infection news broke in the midst of Brazil’s Carnival celebrations, popular with foreign visitors. The diagnosis was announced by the health minister, Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who added that Brazil was investigating 20 additional cases, including 12 patients who recently traveled to Italy. The man was said to have traveled to northern Italy from Feb. 9-21. Although the virus originated in China, there has been a surge of cases in Italy, most notably in the northern region of Lombardy, and the illness has now spread to several countries in Europe.

Source: International New York Times February 26, 2020 11:39 UTC