Coronavirus: Ivory Coast tests woman for China virus

An unnamed Ivorian woman who travelled from China is being tested for the coronavirus

Health officials are dealing with a suspected case of coronavirus in Ivory Coast, the country's health ministry has announced.

An unnamed student, who returned to the West African country from Beijing on Saturday, is undergoing further tests after showing flu-like symptoms.

If confirmed, it will be the first case of the deadly virus in Africa.

The virus, which first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread to over 2,000 people and killed 56.

The 34-year-old woman is currently in isolation, officials said.

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The traveller has lived in China for the past five years, according to the statement released by Ivory Coast's health ministry, and had shown flu-like symptoms before boarding the plane to Abidjan.

"Her general state is satisfactory," the ministry said. "There are, at this stage, suspicions of a case of pneumonia tied to the coronavirus."

The woman's test results are expected on Sunday evening.

Currently known as 2019-nCoV, the virus is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans.

Since the outbreak began in Wuhan, several African countries have introduced extra screening on flights arriving from China.