LOS ANGELES, CA — A new virus taking lives in China is prompting federal and local health officials to conduct health screenings for passengers arriving from China at major American airports including Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, officials confirmed Friday.

Los Angeles World Airports officials confirmed that about 100 staffers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will screen passengers from a specific region in China where 2019-nCoV — a virus known to infect humans and animals — caused numerous illnesses and killed at least two people. According to the CDC, health authorities in Thailand and Japan also identified patients who were infected with the newly evolved virus after traveling from Wuhan, China.

“To further protect the health of the American public during the emergence of this novel coronavirus, CDC is beginning entry screening at three ports of entry. Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing, and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation,” said Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. “Based on current information, the risk from 2019-nCoV to the American public is currently deemed to be low. Nevertheless, CDC is taking proactive preparedness precautions.”

The virus causes pneumonia-like symptoms, and federal officials hope to prevent the outbreak from spreading to the United States. In the past, international airports such as LAX have proven to be a hub for outbreaks spread by travelers. Most recently, a small outbreak of measles in Los Angeles in 2019 is believed to have begun with infected travelers at LAX. Over the course of the year, there were repeated exposures and health scares after it was determined that travelers infected with the measles had passed through LAX.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Chinese officials believe most patients infected with 2019-nCoV were exposed to live animals in a seafood market, and the chances of an outbreak in the United States remains low.

“CDC is actively monitoring this situation for pertinent information about the source of outbreak, and risk for further spread through person-to-person or animal-to-person transmission. CDC may adjust screening procedures and other response activities as this outbreak investigation continues and more is learned about the newly emerging virus,” CDC officials said in a statement. “Entry screening alone is not a guarantee against the possible importation of this new virus but is an important public health tool during periods of uncertainty and part of a multilayered government response strategy. As new information emerges, CDC will reassess entry screening measures and could scale activities up or down accordingly.”