Zika sexual transmission: 1st female-to-male case reported in NYC

The first USA cases of sexually transmitted Zika through heterosexual and homosexual contact happened in Texas.

On Wednesday, the CDC reported that seven babies in the USA have been born with birth defects that were related to Zika, while five women who had Zika while pregnant lost their babies during their pregnancy.

The CDC says it has recorded the first female-to-male sexual transmission of the Zika virus in New York City.

When her male partner developed symptoms seven days later and sought treatment from the same caregiver, he, too, was diagnosed with Zika.

“Microcephaly is one of the worst tragedies related to Zika virus infection”.

The woman began menstruating the day after they had sex.

The researchers conclude that any large-scale government measures to target the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry Zika are unlikely to contain the epidemic. But as researchers discover more about Zika’s ability to be sexually transmitted – and thereby reach areas that are otherwise mosquito-free – controlling its spread will mean we’ll have to be more diligent about wrapping it up.

In February, officials in Dallas confirmed the first case of the virus being contracted by male to female via sexual intercourse. But once Zika spread to Brazil – a country with 200 million people having no immunity to the virus – the complications became more apparent. Both she and her partner recovered, Brooks says. Several providers of abortion services in Colombia, where the procedure is tightly restricted, said they had not seen a rise in the number of women seeking to interrupt pregnancy because of Zika fears. Even though most people who get Zika have no symptoms of the disease, the woman was among the minority who exhibited telltale signs of infection.

Zika can cause birth defects, including the brain and skull deformity known as microcephaly.

The virus cases mild symptoms of fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes.

The first virus case infecting a San Francisco resident was reported on March 3 and the second case was reported on April 22. They work closely with other state agencies to emphasize precaution at schools, daycare centers, and in women’s health programs.

The couple had unprotected sex the day of her return from travel.

New York City’s Health Department reports that in 36 of the 310 cases, women were pregnant at the time of their diagnosis.

“Our central goal is protecting unborn babies from Zika”, stated Hellerstedt. Previous studies in monkeys and people have shown the presence of the virus in vaginal fluid.

Brooks noted that the male partner involved in the NY case was not circumcised.

The statistics on Zika as a sexually transmitted disease are sobering. The CDC will be updating guidelines, but for now, any traveler, regardless of gender, should either abstain from sex or use condoms after travel to a Zika country, it said. So there’s a chance the virus could have spread through blood.