Photo/Illutration A thermography device at a quarantine counter checks if arriving passengers have a fever at Kansai International Airport in Osaka Prefecture on Jan. 22. (The Asahi Shimbun)

A tourist in his 40s has been confirmed as the second case of coronavirus in Japan, after he arrived from Wuhan in central China, where the fast-spreading virus is believed to have originated.

The man, who lives in Wuhan and arrived with two family members on Jan. 19, developed a fever five days earlier and twice saw doctors in China, but was not diagnosed with pneumonia, the health ministry said Jan. 24. 

He has since recovered from his symptoms but remains in a medical facility in Tokyo. 

The virus has claimed at least 26 lives and infected more than 800 people worldwide.

The central government on Jan. 23 raised its travel alert level for Wuhan from 1 to 2 for Japanese citizens, urging no non-essential travel there after authorities in China barred residents from travel out of the city of more than 11 million people.

The day after the man arrived in Japan, he checked into a medical facility in Tokyo saying he was feeling unwell, but doctors found no symptoms of pneumonia and he was cleared to leave.

However, when his fever and sore throat persisted, he returned to see a doctor on Jan. 22 and was found to have developed symptoms of pneumonia. He was then transferred to another facility in Tokyo.

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) examined his samples and confirmed that he was infected with the coronavirus on Jan. 24. 

As the man's condition was stable upon arrival, he did not report to quarantine at the airport, and his condition was not detected by thermography equipment, the ministry said.

He said he had not visited a seafood market in Wuhan where the virus is believed to have initially spread. It has not been confirmed whether he came into contact with pneumonia patients in the city. 

The man said he stayed in a separate room from his family at a hotel in Tokyo and that he wore a face mask when he went outside.

Symptoms caused by the virus have not been confirmed in his family members or the about 20 medical workers who were in contact with him at the medical facilities. The ministry is looking into who else he may have been in contact with.

From Jan. 24, the ministry will hand out health notices to all visitors from China urging them to report to quarantine and see a doctor if they have any symptoms caused by the virus.  

A Kanagawa Prefecture resident in his 30s was confirmed as the first coronavirus case in Japan last week after he returned from a trip to Wuhan.