[Mother Abigail]

MADRID, March 18 (Reuters) - Spain may have its first case of the deadly strain of pneumonia that has killed at least nine people and stricken hundreds more in Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia.

"It could be the first case but we are in no way sure that is the first case of pneumonia," Health Minister Ana Pastor told a news conference.

The unidentified patient, a 38-year-old man admitted to hospital in the western region of Extremadura, travelled to Beijing on a business trip in February, the minister said.

(February! something wrong with the timeline...)

[CathyRyan]

and Beijing! I thought this was just Guangdong... Am I wrong?

[aristeides]

(February! something wrong with the timeline...)

A businessman on Taiwan who has the disease travelled to South China in late February.

According to the article in today's Wall Street Journal, the disease first appeared in Foshan, China in mid-November.