SINGAPORE - Singapore's first suspected case of the mystery Wuhan virus, involving a three-year-old girl from China with pneumonia and a travel history to the Chinese city, is not linked to the cluster there, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Sunday (Jan 5).

But as medical practitioners are on the lookout for cases with pneumonia who have recently returned from Wuhan, Singapore is likely to see more suspect cases that will need to be investigated, the ministry added. MOH said it will continue to monitor the situation closely.

On the girl, it said: "Epidemiological investigations, clinical assessment and laboratory test results from the suspect case... have found the case is not linked to the pneumonia cluster in Wuhan."

The girl also tested negative for SARS and MERS-CoV, the ministry said.

The cause of her pneumonia is respiratory syncytial virus, a common cause of childhood respiratory infection. It is so common that most children have been infected with the virus by age two, according to the Mayo Clinic in the United States.

MOH added that there were no new suspected cases as of 3pm on Sunday.

The ministry had said on Saturday that it had been notified of the first suspected case of the Wuhan virus here. The girl was warded for further assessment and treatment, and isolated as a precautionary measure.

MOH said travellers to Wuhan should monitor their health closely and seek medical attention immediately if they feel unwell.