ROCHESTER, Minn. - A deadly virus is causing concern across the globe with hundreds sick and more than a dozen dead.

Chinese authorities are partially locking down three cities in an attempt to contain the coronavirus that’s already spread to other countries.

The first case of illness was announced in the U.S. earlier this week.

The CDC is closely monitoring developments while Mayo Clinic in Rochester says since doctors see patients from all over the world it’s on alert.

Dr. Pirtish Tosh explained, “If we have a patient who we suspect of having this novel coronavirus we would anticipate putting that patient in our high consequences infectious disease unit and activating our core team to help us take care of them.”

Dr. Tosh says there is still a lot to learn about the virus but so far research shows it spreads from person to person and can cause some pretty serious infections.

He added, “Its likelihood of causing a worldwide pandemic is relatively low but we've already seen several deaths from it and multiple infections.”

Seventeen people have reportedly died from the virus and more than 600 are ill as health officials work to contain the virus that appears to have originated in Wuhan, China.

“In the United States we're really looking at ports of entry so airports where there's flights coming from Wuhan and people from the U.S. government to help screen people,” said Dr. Tosh.

If you’ve traveled recently and noticed symptoms like a runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat or fever you should check with your healthcare provider.