South Korea has confirmed another case of the Zika virus infection, raising the number of people infected with the virus here to 16, health authorities said Monday.

A 46-year-old Korean man living in Vietnam who came here for vacation was confirmed to have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

He is presumed to have been bitten by a mosquito during his stay in the Southeast Asian nation. He has been staying in Vietnam since 2012 for business and visited South Korea for two weeks.

The man, who had received treatment at a Seoul hospital, returned to Vietnam, KCDC Officials said.

Twelve South Koreans infected with the virus have traveled to Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam, while four others made a trip to Central and South American nations such as Brazil, the KCDC said.

The KCDC advises pregnant women and their partners who are worried about potential exposure to consider avoiding travel to such areas. Those who have traveled to affected regions in the past two months are advised to avoid any sexual contact or wear condoms if their partner is pregnant.

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)