Bahamas reports first Zika case

A man who recently travelled to Jamaica has become the first reported case of Zika in the Bahamas.

A man who recently travelled to Jamaica has become the first reported case of Zika in the Bahamas. (AAP)

Authorities in the Bahamas are reporting the archipelago's first Zika case but say it was contracted elsewhere.

The health minister, Dr Michael Perry, said on Wednesday that the patient is a man who recently travelled to Jamaica.

He says the man lives on New Providence island, where the Bahamas capital of Nassau is located.

Zika causes a mild illness in most people but can lead to severe brain-related birth defects if women are infected during pregnancy.

The mosquito-borne virus has been spreading across the Americas since last year.