He is presumed to have been bitten by a mosquito during his stay in the South American nation earlier this month, the authorities said.

The man, whose identity has been withheld, received treatment at a hospital in Goyang, just west of Seoul. He is currently healthy, KCDC officials said.

The KCDC said it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into another person who had traveled with the man.

The KCDC advises pregnant women and their partners who are worried about potential exposure to consider avoiding travel to such areas. Those who have traveled to affected regions in the past two months are advised to avoid any sexual contact or wear condoms if their partner is pregnant.

The virus, first discovered in Africa, is not life-threatening but may be linked to thousands of birth defects in newborn babies like abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains. (Yonhap)