The total number of coronavirus cases grew as of Friday, with at least 41 people dead and more than 1300 people around the world sickened. The vast majority of cases are in mainland China.

The previously unknown, flu-like coronavirus strain is believed to have emerged from an animal market in central Wuhan city. A group of scientists said earlier this week that snakes, particularly the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra, may be the original source of the virus. But officials from the World Health Organization cast doubt on that theory Thursday, saying there is “no conclusive evidence” at the moment.

The virus originated in the city of Wuhan, in the central Chinese province of Hubei, late last year. It has since spread to Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghal. A small number of isolated cases have been confirmed elsewhere in Asia. Two cases have been reported in…