A baby in China's epidemic-hit Wuhan city has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus just 30 hours after being born, as reported by a Chinese state media on Wednesday.

The infant is the youngest person recorded as beinginfected by the virus, which has killed nearly 500 people since emerging latelast year.

As quoted, an expert said that it may be a case ofvertical transmission, referring to infections passed from mother to childduring pregnancy, childbirth or immediately after.

The mother tested positive for the virus before shegave birth.

The disease is believed to have emerged in December in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals and spread rapidly as people traveled for the Lunar New Year holiday in January.