Zika Virus Acquired Through Sexual Transmission, Texas Officials Say

Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquitos but can be spread through sexual contact in some cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The finding of Zika cases in Ireland is not an unexpected event as many other European countries have reported cases as a result of travel to affected areas”, the statement said.

The first case of sexually transmitted Zika Virus has been confirmed in Texas, USA by a local health officer.

Travel-related cases are defined as people sick with Zika virus that contracted it out of the state.

Mosquito-borne Zika has been linked to birth defects in thousands of babies in South America.

None of the cases that have been confirmed involve pregnant women, Florida Health officials say. All previous cases in the USA were travelers returning to the US from countries where the virus was acquired from mosquito bites.

Common symptoms – which can last for up to a week – include fever, rashes, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

There is now no cure or vaccine for the disease. “Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention method against sexually transmitted infections”.

Researchers have warned Zika could be linked with microcephaly, a condition causing children to be born with abnormally small brains and skulls.

The rapid spread of the disease has led the World Health Organisation to declared the virus a global public health emergency.

There have been over 40 cases of the Zika virus across 12 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. According to the CDC, there have been reports in Brazil of “microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant”.

The CDC said it did not investigate how the virus was transmitted. The CDC has already recommended pregnant women postpone trips to more than two dozen countries with Zika outbreaks, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Venezuela.