First Virginia Case of Zika Virus Confirmed

The Virginia Department of Health has confirmed the first reported Zika virus infection in a Virginia resident.

Health department spokesman Matthew Lipani told Patch Thursday the infected person lives in the northwestern part of Virginia and recently returned from traveling in Central America. 

There have been at least 22 cases of the illness affecting travelers returning to the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Virginia case was confirmed via laboratory testing provided through the CDC in an adult resident of Virginia who recently traveled to a country where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, the Virginia Department of Health said.

This is the first reported, laboratory-confirmed case in a traveler returning to Virginia, sometimes referred to as an “imported” case, the department said.

Zika Virus in the United States: What You Need to Know

Zika virus infection in this individual serves as a reminder that people in Virginia can acquire the disease during travel to countries where Zika virus transmission is occurring, the department said. The mosquito-borne illness was primarily confined to Africa, Southeast Asia and Pacific islands before last year. But in 2015, an outbreak was reported in Brazil, and the disease has been reported in 20 other countries in North and South America.

On Friday, the CDC included the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to that list. Brazil, which is scheduled to host the Summer Olympics in 2016, is also on the list.

“Zika virus is acquired through the bite of an infected mosquito. Because it is not mosquito season in Virginia, this individual with Zika virus infection poses no risk to other Virginians,” said State Health Commissioner Marissa J. Levine, MD, MPH, FAAFP.

“However, this is the time of year when more people do travel to warmer climates and countries where Zika virus is found,” Levine said. “Pregnant women are strongly encouraged to consider postponing travel to Zika-affected countries while pregnant. In addition, we are urging everyone, especially pregnant women, to check health travel advisories before leaving the United States and to take preventive measures when traveling in affected areas of the world.”

PHOTO: Mosquito image courtesy of CDC