Two More Connecticut Zika Virus Cases, Including Pregnant Woman, Confirmed

HARTFORD, CT — Two more Connecticut residents, including a pregnant woman, have tested positive for the Zika virus, the state Department of Public Health announced on Thursday.

A non-pregnant woman returned from Puerto Rico in late April and became ill on April 29 with a rash, conjunctivitis and other symptoms associated with Zika, according to the DPH.

The other patient, nine weeks pregnant, returned from the Dominican Republic, also in late April, and became ill on April 28 with a rash. Both patients and their physicians have been informed of the test results.

“As we head into the summer travel months, it is very important for travelers to Zika-affected areas to take precautions to avoid mosquito bites,” DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino said in a statement. “This is particularly critical for pregnant women or women planning to become pregnant, who should postpone travel to these areas if at all possible.”

Danbury resident Sara Mujica, 17, was Connecticut’s first confirmed case of a pregnant woman testing positive for the Zika virus. Mujica is 11 weeks pregnant.

In Connecticut, 252 patients, including 221 pregnant women, have been tested for Zika virus. Six of the patients tested have been positive for travel-related Zika, including today’s two patients, according to the DPH.

Of the six, the first four have fully recovered from the virus. The two pregnant patients will continue to be monitored for the duration of their pregnancies for signs of birth defects, like microcephaly, which have occurred in some babies whose mothers contracted Zika while pregnant, according to the DPH.

The countries visited by the eight Zika positive patients where they became infected with Zika virus are Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Colombia and Ecuador.

Patch file photo