1st case of Zika reported in Hamilton County

According to a release sent to WKRN News 2, the individual recently returned from an affected country where Zika is being transmitted by mosquitoes.

But on Friday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that doctors detected in Florida the first four cases of the virus they believe were transmitted by mosquitoes in the US, county health officials said. The three patients, one over 50 years of age, and two under 50 years of age, are residents of Williamson County who were infected with the virus during travel to Central America and the Caribbean, respectively.

The virus is spread through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, however, the specific species is not found in Montana. In a statement issued Wednesday, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials said there is no danger to the general public of developing Zika through casual contact. WCCHD advises individuals with symptoms to see a healthcare provider if they visited an area where Zika virus is present or had sexual contact with a person who traveled to an area where Zika virus is present. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The woman’s symptoms did not require hospitalization, health officials said.

Zika became notorious for its impact on pregnancies.

Until recently, all cases of the virus have been found only in people who have traveled outside the USA or transmitted the virus through sexual contact.

The Zika virus has been linked to serious birth defects in pregnant women including microcephaly. A lab test confirmed the Zika virus infection.

Since January, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting 1,658 Zika disease cases nationwide.