South Korea has confirmed the first case of a patient here being infected with the South America-originated Zika virus, the health authorities said Tuesday, sparking fears that the contagious virus that could cause birth defects will spread throughout the country.

A 43-year-old man tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus after traveling to Brazil between mid-February and early March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).

"During the trip in Brazil, the patient had a mosquito bite there," a CDCP official said in a press briefing.

The patient, who returned home on March 11, has been treated at a hospital in Gwangju, some 329 kilometers south of Seoul.

The authorities said they are closely tracking his movements and colleagues in South Korea after his arrival.

But the CDCP official said that he does not need to be isolated from other patients as he is now on a full recovery track.

"He no longer needs to be quarantined, but we will closely watch his condition and carry out a thorough examination on him,"

said the official. "We will also check his wife in order to prevent any further infection."

The CDCP said it will maintain the alert level at the current "attention" status, as the Zika virus is less contagious and has a relatively low fatality rate.

The official said the government will step up monitoring of mosquitoes that can spread the virus and strengthen disinfection operations to remove potential habitats where the virus-carrying insects may breed.

The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus outbreak a global emergency.

Zika was first discovered in Africa, and has spread to parts of Asia and Latin America, including many Caribbean countries.

In Asia, China and Japan have reported a few confirmed cases.

The first Zika case raised concerns over a widespread epidemic again in South Korea a year after an outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

The respiratory disease, that was first confirmed in May last year, claimed 38 lives before the government officially declared the country free of MERS in December last year. (Yonhap)

Fears of the full-scale inland epidemic had weighed heavily on the economy, dragging down domestic consumption and reducing foreign visitors. (Yonhap)