First US Zika virus transmission reported, attributed to sex

That’s where all of the cases were detected.

The governor of Florida has declared a health emergency in four counties due to the Zika virus.

The unidentified person had not traveled but had sex with a person who had returned from Venezuela and fallen ill with Zika, Dallas County health officials said.

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook, who is covering the Zika outbreak in Brazil, said, “I think it’s an attempt to stay ahead of the problem by lowering the odds that Zika virus will enter the local mosquito population in Florida”.

But the virus has been connected to birth defects in places it has spread, such as Brazil.

“The report of a case of Zika virus infection in Texas acquired through sexual transmission is concerning and the risk for sexual transmission of Zika is being investigated”, according to a response from the California Department of Public Health. Mosquitoes that spread Zika are aggressive daytime biters, prefer to bite people, and live indoors and outdoors near people.

Scott directed state officials to pay special attention to mosquito spraying in residential areas in those counties.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced concerns about the alleged sexual transmission of the Zika virus in the USA, calling for a thorough probe into the case. FLORIDA GOV. DECLARES ZIKA EMERGENCYGov. Pregnant women or those who think they are pregnant are advised by the CDC not to travel to countries that are experiencing an outbreak of the disease. Though it is often relatively harmless in adults, Zika virus may be linked to paralysis caused by Guillame-Barre Syndrome. However, with pregnant women it can lead to a serious condition called Microcephaly, which causes the baby to develop with a smaller than normal head and a variety of issues with their brain development.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said the newly-discovered Zika cases in Ireland are “not an unexpected event” as many other European countries have reported cases as a result of people travelling to affected areas.

Sexual transmission of Zika virus was suspected back in 2008 when a scientist infected with Zika passed it on to his wife most likely through sexual intercourse.

Health ministers attend the summit to address the spread of Zika virus in the region at the Mercosur building in Montevideo, Uruguay, Feb. 3, 2016.