Health officials say a patient in Texas has acquired the Zika virus through sexual transmission.
Dallas County Health and Human Services said Tuesday it received confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The patient was infected after having sexual contact with an ill person who returned from a country where Zika was present.
The Zika virus is usually spread through mosquito bites. Investigators have been exploring the possibility the virus also can be spread through sex. It was found in one man's semen in Tahiti, and there was report of a Colorado researcher who caught the virus overseas and apparently spread it to his wife back home in 2008.
Health officials note there are no reports of Zika being transmitted by mosquitoes in Dallas County.
What is Zika Virus?
- Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week.
- Outbreaks of Zika have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas.
- There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika.
- Travelers can protect themselves from this disease by taking steps to prevent mosquito bites.
- Info provided by the CDC
