[[Courtesy of World Health Organization] ]
South Korea on Tuesday reported the first case of a patient infected with the mosquito-borne virus during his recent trip to Brazil, but health authorities ruled out any possible Zika spread.
A 43-year-old man tested positive for the virus after he showed symptoms such as fever, joint pains and rash, five days after he returned home on March 11 via Germany after a 22-day business trip to Brazil, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Director Jung Ki-suck said the man living in the southern port city of Gwangyang was transferred to an isolated hospital room.
"His condition is now stable ... with almost no more fever and rash" after being treated at a local hospital, he said, adding the man was infected with the virus through mosquito bites.
The virus, which can cause birth defects in new-born babies, has been reported in China and Japan. Usually the Zika infection involves travelers who had visited a virus infected country.
The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus outbreak to be a global public health emergency, citing a "strongly suspected" relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly.
Zika has not been proven to cause microcephaly in babies, but there is growing evidence that suggests a link. The condition is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.
Brazil, hit hardest by Zika with some 1.5 million people infected, has confirmed more than 800 cases of microcephaly. It is investigating thousands of additional suspected cases of microcephaly.
There is no specific medication or a vaccine available to treat the virus.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
