SEOUL – South Korea has reported its first confirmed
case of the Zika virus in a 43-year old male who have travelled to Brazil, its
centre for disease control said.

The World Health Organization on February 1 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 said it has confirmed more than 860 cases of microcephaly, and considers
most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. Brazil is
investigating more than 4,200 additional suspected cases of microcephaly.

– Reuters