Four people in Scotland are being tested for suspected coronavirus after travelling to the country from Wuhan, China, according to the head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Jurgen Haas said he believes there will be many more cases from other cities in the UK.
He said three cases are in Edinburgh and the other is believed to be in Glasgow.
Tests are currently being carried out and none of the patients have been confirmed as having the disease.
They all travelled to Scotland from Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have originated, within the past two weeks and are showing symptoms of respiratory trouble, a red flag for the virus.
The news comes as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government is “closely monitoring” the virus.
She was asked at FMQs by SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson about the steps being taken to ensure the safety of Scots after the disease killed 17 people and infected nearly 600.
It is believed the disease, known as coronavirus, emanated from a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has an international airport connecting to 60 destinations across the world.
The First Minister said: “I can assure Kenny Gibson and indeed the chamber that, together with Health Protection Scotland, we are very closely monitoring what is a very rapidly evolving situation.
“I should say, that the risk to the public here in Scotland – and indeed the UK – is currently classified as low but that is kept under review.
“Health Protection Scotland are liaising with NHS boards and are currently in daily contact with Public Health England, we’re also liaising daily with colleagues in the UK Department of Health – we’re also paying very close attention to the advice and the decisions that come from the World Health Organisation.”
She added: “Advanced monitoring measures are being put in place for flights between Wuhan City and Heathrow, that will involve each flight being met by a port health team who will check for coronavirus and provide information to all passengers.
“We’re currently considering whether there is any further information that could be provided at Scottish airports.
“This is an evolving situation which we will monitor extremely closely and the Health Secretary and I will make sure that Parliament is updated in the days and weeks to come.”
The Chinese Government has effectively “locked down” Wuhan, with planes and trains being cancelled, along with the nearby city of Huanggang.
