I haven't seen any statistics, but it appears that Rita Wilson and her husband contracted it in Australia from what I've read. That was the more worrying thing to me about that news than the celebrity connection.
It's anecdata for sure. Apparently though, at least one TV reporter contracted the virus after being in contact with Rita Wilson. Again, anecdata, but it points towards the idea that there is local transmission.
Well, in Brazil it's officially known that there has been domestic transmission in both São Paulo (that has been cold, much like a summer in North Europe) and Rio de Janeiro (that has been quite hot on the last few days).
Fist off, its a virus not a microorganism. Second, high humidity reduces the spread of viruses. That is why you get the common cold more often in winter, when it is very dry.
