South Korea detects first Zika virus case

Seoul, March 22: South Korean authorities have detected the first Zika virus case in the country, the Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Tuesday.

A 43-year-old man, who had made business trips to Brazil between February 17 and March 11, was tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus, Xinhua news agency quoted the agency as saying.

The patient began developing fever and muscle ache from March 16.

Zika is known as a virus that spreads through bites from a specific mosquito. It is particularly risky for pregnant women as the virus is thought to be linked to a rare birth defect, microcephaly.

Microcephaly causes newborn babies to have an unusually small, damaged brain.

IANS