Missouri health officials reported Friday on the 4th imported Zika virus case in the state. The patient is a pregnant woman who had travelled to Nicaragua.
Nearly 80 percent of people infected with the virus will have no symptoms. Typically, symptoms are mild and include fever, rash, joint soreness and/or redness of eyes.
According to the CDC, Zika virus has the potential to be spread through a mosquito bite, through unprotected sexual contact, through blood transfusion and an infected pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy.
There is not currently a vaccine for Zika virus. The best prevention measure is to avoid mosquito bites in areas with ongoing transmission. There have been no reported cases of Zika virus contracted from a mosquito bite in Missouri. Ways to avoid mosquito bites while outdoors include wearing EPA-registered insect repellent with DEET, wearing pants and long sleeves, or remaining indoors in an air conditioned environment.
The CDC is recommending pregnant women avoid traveling to Zika-affected areas which include countries ranging from Mexico into the Caribbean, Central American and South America.
The CDC has reported 388 travel associated Zika virus cases as of Apr. 20. Of the 388, 33 were in pregnant woman, eight are sexually transmitted and one case of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Related:
- Zika history: A timeline to a public health crisis
- Zika in the US: ‘Threat of local outbreak likely’, according to Fauci
- Zika virus: Rapid mutations allowed virus to spread swiftly around the globe suggests UCLA researchers
- Zika virus: Male-to-male sexual transmission documented
- CDC concludes: Zika causes microcephaly
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