Vietnamese woman infected with Zika virus in Japan: ministry

HANOI - A 40-year-old Vietnamese woman was diagnosed with Zika virus while travelling in Japan, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday.

Accordingly, the patient who was bitten by mosquitoes in Vietnam experienced a headache and rash on the body before arriving in Japan last Thursday.

After undergoing other symptoms such as joint pain and red eyes, the woman sought medical attention at a hospital in Japan's Tokyo last Friday. Two days later, she was diagnosed with Zika virus.

Tran Dac Phu, head of the MoH's General Department of Preventive Medicine, said on Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA on Wednesday that his department is asking Japan's health authorities for the patient's address in Vietnam.

The woman is the 11th Zika-infected case in Japan since 2013.

On Tuesday, the department issued guidelines on how to avoid contracting Zika and how to kill mosquitoes carrying the virus.