The Dallas County Health and Human Services has received confirmation that a resident of Texas has Zika virus.

This is the first U.S. case of Zika virus that has been sexually transmitted.

The virus spreads through mosquitoes and is common in countries along the Equator. It causes fever, conjunctivitis, and a rash. A milder form of the virus is called Zika fever. The symptoms only last a few days. Scientists have linked Zika virus to infant microcephaly, a condition where the skull is too small to allow complete brain growth and function, by mother-to-child transmission.

An outbreak of the Zika virus began in early 2015, causing the World Health Organization to issue a public health emergency.

Now, a case of the Zika virus has been confirmed in Texas. The patient had sexual contact with someone who had previously traveled to Venezuela and contracted the disease. This is only the third case of sexually-transmitted Zika virus in the world.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that people do not have sexual contact with someone who has contracted Zika virus, as well as prevent mosquito bites.

 

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