GUANGZHOU -- South China's Guangdong province on Tuesday said the father of two previously confirmed Zika patients was also found to have contracted the virus, marking China's 10th confirmed case.

The 40-year-old man from Jiangmen City returned from Venezuela with his family on Feb. 25. His two children tested positive for the virus on Feb. 27, according to the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission.

He reported the emergence of a rash on Monday, leading to the confirmation of his infection. He is in stable condition in hospital, the commission said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency in early February, amid a Zika outbreak in Central and South America. China has also been on alert as experts warn the warming weather may facilitate the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.

China's central health authority has called for public venues, including bus stations, markets and residential communities, to be thoroughly cleaned to eradicate breeding ground for mosquitoes and other bugs.