A Thai national who went to Taiwan to work has been confirmed to have been infected with the Zika virus, the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare told Focus Taiwan Tuesday.
The 24-year-old man arrived at the Taoyuan International Airport on Jan. 10, where temperature scanners detected that he had a fever. Upon investigation, he tested positive for the virus. He has been detained at a local hospital for further observation, according to The Bangkok Post.
Apparently, the man already suffered from a fever and a headache before coming to Taiwan. He had been staying in northern Thailand for the past three months, and this was his first time going to Taiwan for work.
The man arrived in Taiwan with two others, but they both tested negative for the Zika virus.
Steve Kuo, director general of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, confirmed the report and said that this was the country's first case of the virus infection.
However, it was not the first case in Thailand. Amnuay Gajeena, director general of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, said that the virus was first detected in the country in 2012. Since then, there have been five reported cases annually.
The CDC issued a travel alert Friday for 14 countries in South America and the Caribbean and also a "watch" advisory for some Asian countries, including Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia. The list is constantly being updated by the agency.
The number of microcephaly cases linked with the Zika virus continues to rise in Brazil. There are now 3,893 recorded microcephaly cases, up from 3,530 in just the last 10 days. Infant deaths associated with the virus increased to 49, Reuters reported.
