China detects first imported case of Zika virus

Test tubes with blood samples are analyzed to rule out cases with the Zika virus in a health center in Caracas, Venezuela on February 1, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING -- China has confirmed an imported case of Zika virus, the country's first, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) announced late Tuesday.

The patient, a 34-year-old male from Ganxian county of Jiangxi province, is now recovering with normal body temperature and fading rash.

He had traveled to Venezuela and showed symptoms of fever, headache and dizziness on Jan 28, before returning to his hometown on Feb 5 via Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

He has been quarantined and treated in a hospital in Ganxian since Feb 6.

The NHFPC said that according to evaluation by public health officials and experts, the risk of further spreading of the virus due to this imported case is extremely low due to low temperature.

Symptoms of Zika virus, which spreads to people through mosquito bites, include fever, joint pain, rash, conjunctivitis, headache, muscle pain and eye pain.

Mosquitoes to be used against Zika in China

A pilot field study using mosquitoes infected with bacteria is expected to be launched in South China probably in March, according to a lead researcher.

The move is aimed at reducing the local mosquito population, which could pass the Zika virus to humans, said Xi Zhiyong, who heads the study.

Xi is a microbiology professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.