Singapore has detected a second person with pneumonia who may possibly be infected with the new virus that surfaced in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday that the 26-year-old China national has a Wuhan travel history, although he had not gone to the seafood wholesale market where the new bug is thought to have emerged. A statement from the ministry said: "He has been admitted for further assessment and treatment, and isolated as a precautionary measure. His condition is stable."

It is not known if he was identified at Changi Airport, which has set up temperature checks for passengers flying in from Wuhan.

MOH said: "Investigations to establish whether the suspect case is linked to the Wuhan pneumonia cluster are ongoing."

He is the second person to be suspected of having the Wuhan bug.

Last week, a three-year-old girl, also with a Wuhan travel history, was kept in isolation until it was proven that she was not infected by the new virus.

Salma Khalik