S Africa confirms first case of Zika virus

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SOUTH Africa has confirmed its first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in a Columbian man, health authorities say.

THE virus, which is causing international alarm after spreading through much of the Americas, was detected in the man on his visit to Johannesburg, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.

“The businessman presented with fever and a rash approximately four days after arrival in South Africa but is now fully recovered,” he said. The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on February 1, noting its association with two neurological disorders – microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis.