South Korea reports first case of Zika virus

South Korea on Tuesday reported the country’s first case of the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease that has been linked to birth defects and other health issues. A 43-year-old man who recently returned from Brazil was diagnosed with the virus after suffering fever, muscle pain and rash, according to a statement from the state-run centres for disease control and prevention. Zika virus: pregnant women warned against travel to affected areas Read more The tropical disease, which has become epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, usually causes a mild illness. But the World Health Organisation last month declared the explosive spread of Zika in the Americas to be a global emergency, due to its link to the spike in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly, and the rise in a rare neurological syndrome, Guillain-Barré, that can cause paralysis and death. The virus has so far triggered outbreaks in more than 40 countries. Thanks for reading.

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