Ohio’s 1st Zika virus case involves woman who went to Haiti

Late Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the Ohio Department of Health of the second case of Zika virus in a returning traveler from Haiti, a 21-year-old Stark County man.

Ohio’s Department of Health says the case is among three dozen in 13 states and Washington, D.C. Generally a mild illness, Zika is known to spread primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito.

“The risk of contracting Zika virus here in IN remains low, but we know that many residents are concerned”, Dr. Adams said.

State health officials are preparing to respond if there are outbreaks during the 2016 mosquito season, between May and October.

Earlier this week, Texas health authorities confirmed the first case of Zika in someone who had not traveled overseas to an affected country.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).

On Friday, the CDC recommended that all pregnant women who have visited countries affected by the virus be offered a test for Zika even if they don’t show symptoms.

The woman began experiencing symptoms of Zika on January 25, while she was still in Haiti, said Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Melanie Amato.

U.S. Health officials say they are working hard to understand the Zika Virus.

According to a spokesperson with Columbus Public Health, the CDC issued new guidelines Friday in regards to sexual transmission of the virus.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika virus. “If your partner has been in those areas, and you’re planning to be pregnant, or you are pregnant, then you have to take the extra precautions like using condoms and avoiding sex for the time being”.

The mosquito-borne illness has surged across Latin America, prompting fears that spring weather could bring an explosion in cases. The virus has since spread throughout much of the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

However, a patient in Dallas was determined to have contracted the Zika virus here in the USA; through sexual contact with a person who recently returned from Venezuela.

Last May, Brazil reported the first case of the virus in the Americas.

Zika virus has been confirmed in the Hoosier state.