Authorities diagnosed a 61-year-old man in Sao Paulo who returned recently from Italy with the virus.
The official diagnosis comes during Brazil's carnival holiday, a peak time for domestic travel when millions of revelers throng to major cities for street celebrations.
Pharmacies in Brazil are bracing for an increase in demand of gloves and mouth masks after the country confirmed the first case of a fast-spreading new coronavirus in Latin America on Wednesday (February 26).
Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said there are 20 suspected cases of the new coronavirus in the country, and 12 of them had visited Italy.
He expects that number to jump as more Brazilian tourists return from their travels.
Following the news, this pharmacy reported a surge in demand in face masks.