Health department confirms 3 Zika cases in DC

The virus is mainly spread by a certain type of mosquito not yet seen in the U.S. Only about one in five people who get it will become sick and the symptoms are mild.

Zika has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains in Brazil.

A total of 51 cases have been reported in the USA, all but one from travel.

“The DC Department of Health (DOH) is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor and track Zika virus infections in DC residents”.

“Because it’s new and so severe, it’s scary, especially for women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy”, said Frieden.

The link between Zika infection and microcephaly has not been confirmed and the risks at different stages of pregnancy are unknown.

However, there have been only two suspected cases of sexual transmission of Zika.

“People have already shown that it can spread to bodily fluids other than blood, so this isn’t entirely surprising”, he said.

Men with pregnant partners who visit (or live in) Zika-affected areas should abstain from sex or use condoms for the duration of the pregnancy, the CDC said.

“We have a female, a resident of Rockland County, who traveled to South America, and within a few days of returning here had symptoms of Zika virus presented to her provider who contacted us”, Ruppert said.

While all of the Zika cases in the USA have been diagnosed in travelers, there is one case in Dallas County that was sexually transmitted.

The discovery adds to concern that Zika, which is predominantly spread by the Aedis aegypti mosquito, could also be transmitted by other means, particularly sex.

Pregnant women should receive routine prenatal care, including an ultrasound during the second trimester.

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department Thursday confirmed to WFAA’s sister station in Austin, KVUE, that a man in Travis County has been diagnosed with the Zika virus.