A woman leaves the Wuhan Medical Treatment Centre in Central China's Hubei Province on Sunday. Wuhan's health authority said on Sunday that 717 people are still under medical observation amid the pneumonia outbreak. Forty-one people have been infected with the new virus as of Saturday, with 6 having recovered, 1 dead and 7 seriously ill. Photo: AFP

A Chinese man living in Japan who recently traveled to Wuhan, Central ­China's Hubei Province was confirmed on Thursday as having contracted the new coronavirus discovered in the city last month. 

The man in his 30s did not visit the seafood market which has been linked to many of the cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an email sent to the Global Times on Thursday, citing Japanese officials.  

Japan's health ministry said the man was hospitalized on January 10, four days after his return to Japan. He ­reported a persistent fever.

He has been discharged from hospital in Japan, WHO said. 

WHO noted that it was not surprising that there were cases outside China and it was possible there would be more cases in other countries.

In response, WHO has issued interim guidance encouraging all countries to conduct preparedness activities.

"We are still in the early stages of understanding this new virus, where it came from, and how it affects people," the email said. 

"There are still many unknowns and the situation may continue to evolve."

"Good progress" was being made and WHO was "working closely with officials in China, Japan and Thailand regarding the novel coronavirus," the email said.

WHO did not recommend any restriction on travel or trade during the Chinese Spring Festival rush, based on current information. 

China received reports from Thailand about a Chinese traveler being confirmed with the Wuhan virus on Monday, but had no information about Japan, Geng Shuang, a spokes-

person for ­China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday at a routine press conference. 

The health authorities of Wuhan have been constantly releasing information to the public since the epidemic broke out in the city, Geng noted. 

China was also keeping in close communication with WHO and related countries including Thailand and actively informing them of the situation in Wuhan, he said.