In medical mystery, caregiver of Zika patient gets virus

A Utah man who became the first person in the continental U.S.to die after being infected with the Zika virus passed it to a caregiver, creating a medical mystery about how it spread between them, health officials said Monday.

Today (July 18), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its investigation of the case of a relative of the deceased Utah patient, who apparently contracted the virus while caring for the elderly man.

While the elderly man had Zika, he also had an underlying condition and the cause of his death isn’t known, Salt Lake County officials have said.

Health officials are also trapping mosquitoes in Utah and testing them for the virus to assess the potential for local transmission; however, the two species known to transmit Zika – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – are not known to be present in Utah.

Among the 1,130 people who have received a Zika diagnosis in the continental United States, including 320 pregnant women, the CDC has reported 15 cases of sexual transmission.

Zika, which has spread to about 50 countries and territories in the current outbreak, largely spreads by mosquito bites, as well as through sexual transmission.

All seven other cases in Utah have been travel-associated.

According to the CDC, the most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red, itchy eyes. Health department officials then confirmed her infection.

“Even though no immediate threat to county residents exists, I would like to remind county residents to protect themselves and family members from mosquito bites, especially if traveling to Zika-affected countries”, said Dr. Maxwell Ohikhuare, the county’s health officer.

CDC officials are helping Utah experts investigate the case. The exact cause of death was not determined.

Prior to this case, Zika virus was believed to be sexually transmitted only from males to females, not the other way around.

The primary concern about Zika infection is the virus’s threat to pregnancies, and health officials have issued cautions to pregnant women who have a male sex partner who may have been infected. But, it said the patient recovered quickly.

More tips on Zika prevention are available here. The virus can cross the placental barrier and infect a developing fetus, often causing miscarriage or severe brain abnormalities.

“The CDC is now updating recommendations for sexually active people in which the couple is not pregnant or concerned about pregnancy and for people who want to reduce personal risk of Zika infection through sex”. Illness is usually mild with symptoms that last for several days to a week.

When it comes to Dallas County, there have been no reports of Zika being locally transmitted by mosquitoes. He also confirmed a single encounter of condomless vaginal intercourse with his female partner (the patient) after her return to New York City and reported that he did not engage in oral or anal intercourse with her.

“We know bodily fluids like saliva and urine can harbor the virus, he said”.