She is presumed to have been bitten by a mosquito during her stay in the country earlier this month, the authorities said.

The woman, whose identity has been withheld, received treatment at a hospital after showing symptoms of skin rash and muscle ache, KCDC officials said.

The disease control center said it is conducting an epidemiological investigation into another person who had traveled with the woman.

The KCDC advises pregnant women and their partners who are worried about potential exposure to reconsider travelling to countries where Zika virus cases have been reported. Those who have traveled to affected regions in the past two months are advised to avoid any sexual contact or use contraceptives.

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)