Zika Mystery Case in Utah Stumps CDC

The Florida Department of Health said it is investigating a possible non-travel related case of Zika virus in Miami-Dade County.

Health officials are trying to unravel how a relative may have picked up a Zika infection from a Utah man who died.

However, there are, according to CDC Director Tom Frieden, “1,306 travel-related Zika cases in the continental U.S”.

However, Utah mosquito-control teams have not uncovered either of the mosquito species believed to transmit Zika, therefore it is unlikely the dead man passed the virus to a mosquito which, in turn, infected the carer.

The deceased patient had traveled to an area outside the country where Zika is circulating and apparently caught the virus there. Microcephaly is a neurological disorder that results in babies born with abnormally small heads, causing severe developmental issues and sometimes death.

There have been no cases of people being infected from mosquitoes in the continental U.S.

CDC expert Dr Erin Staples said: “The new case in Utah is a surprise, showing that we still have more to learn about Zika”. Now, however, there might be a third way the Zika can be contracted, possibly through contact with the bodily fluids of somebody infected with the virus.

The CDC said it is closely coordinating with Florida officials leading the investigation. Mosquito Control has “already conducted reduction and prevention activities in the area of investigation”.

So far, Florida has reported more than more than 320 cases of the Zika virus.

Additionally, Zika virus can be spread through anal, oral, and vaginal sex. Three of these cases were in Broward, three in Orange County and one in Miami-Dade.

The CDC has also been tracking pregnant women infected with Zika, and says they have five reports of pregnancy losses because of miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion.

Condoms or abstinence are also recommended to reduce the risk of infection by people traveling to or living in places where Zika is circulating. The rest tend to experience only mild problems – mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, or headaches – that last for several days.

For women, this includes preventing pregnancy for eight weeks after the onset of symptoms.