Fourth cholera case confirmed in Busan

South Korea has confirmed an additional cholera infection, raising the official number of people with the waterborne virus to four, health authorities said Saturday.

A man in his 40s, a Busan resident, has been diagnosed with the disease after eating seafood at a local restaurant earlier this week, shortly after he returned from a trip to the Philippines, they said. He traveled to the Southeast Asian nation with two other Busan residents.

He is now receiving treatment at a Busan hospital, while his wife and other family members have shown no unusual symptoms.

A fish market on Thursday in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, where authorities have begun carrying out quarantine activities to prevent the spread of cholera. (Yonhap)

Earlier, South Korea reported three cholera patients in the latest outbreak of the disease. All three, who live in South Gyeongsang Province, were confirmed to have contracted cholera after eating seafood. 

The diarrheal disease, which annually affects 3-5 million people worldwide, is known to be curable with proper medication and treatment. (Yonhap)