Taiwan has raised travel notices for five Asean nations, including Thailand and the Maldives, after a northern Thai man was hospitalised in Taiwan with a confirmed case of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus.
The issue has sparked concern in Thailand over a possible epidemic. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) is prepared to respond with a mosquito surveillance and prevention campaign across the country.
The virus is thought to be linked to brain-damaging birth defects in infants.
- Earlier report: Thai man diagnosed with Zika virus
The first reported case of the Zika virus in Taiwan was announced by Taiwan's Centre for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) on Tuesday.
The man, who was in Taiwan for work, was detected at the fever screening station upon arrival at Taoyuan International Airport. Further testings by the Taiwan CDC laboratory confirmed that he was infected with Zika virus.
The patient is a 24-year-old Thai male who resides in northern Thailand. The man was stopped by a quarantine officer at a fever screening station upon his arrival at the airport on Jan 10.
According to the Taiwan CDC, prior to his trip to Taiwan, the man had been in Thailand for the previous three months and was on his first visit to Taiwan. The man started experiencing symptoms one day before travelling to Taiwan. The infection was confirmed following blood tests conducted by the Taiwan CDC laboratory.
Two co-workers travelling with the man, and also from the North, tested negative for the virus, the organisation said.
A chart issued last week by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the latest reports on the spread of the Zika virus.
"This is the first case of Zika virus infection detected among the 50,000 samples collected by the Taiwan CDC laboratory since 2003," the organisation said.
As a result, the Taiwan CDC decided to raise the travel notices for the five Asean countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, as well as the Maldives to Level 1 to better monitor the virus.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated report last week on the spread of the Zika virus.
Thai DDC director-general Amnuay Kajeena said Thursday his department had discussed surveillance and protective measures to improve understanding of this mosquito-borne infection among Thai people.
Measures include controlling the number of mosquitoes in communities, keeping houses clean to prevent them becoming mosquito breeding grounds, and ensuring houses are free of areas of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed, he added.
According to Dr Amnuay, Thailand's first case of the Zika virus was confirmed in 2012. Since then, patients have been reported throughout the country with an average of about five cases a year.
There is no vaccine or cure for the disease. The best way to prevent the infection is to avoid mosquito bites, he said.
People who have a Zika infection may develop a fever, rashes on the skin, and eyes and joint pain, Dr Amnuay said.
The infections can be transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitos, blood transfusions and from a pregnant woman to her unborn child, he added.