KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — The Ministry of Health reported today the fourth case of Zika infection in Malaysia, a man who travels to and from Singapore daily for work.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 25-year-old patient is the husband of a pregnant woman living in Johor Baru who also has the virus.

"The patient has no close contact in Malaysia other than his mother-in-law and wife,” Noor Hisham said in a statement.

"Up till September 9 2016, there are four confirmed Zika cases throughout the country. Besides that, MOH also found that between September 1 and September 7 2016, there were 39 cases with Zika symptoms, but they tested negative,” he added.

Noor Hisham also cited World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines that recommended safe sex or abstinence for at least six months since the date of diagnosis for men infected with Zika.

"If the man has a pregnant partner and frequently visits areas that have reported Zika infections, then they should avoid sex throughout the pregnancy to avoid microcephaly complications on the foetus,” he said.

Zika, which is mainly carried by the Aedes mosquito but can also be transmitted through sex, has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect where the baby’s head is smaller than usual.