First US Case of Sexually Transmitted Zika Confirmed in Texas

7/25/2019 First US Case of Sexually Transmitted Zika Confirmed in Texas

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First US Case Of Sexually Transmitted Zika Confirmed In Texas02/02/2016 05:51 pm ET | Updated 11 hours ago

The patient had sex with someone who had traveled to Venezuela.An illustration of the Zika Virus, which symptoms include mild headaches, maculopapular rash, fever, malaise, conjunctivitis, and arthralgia.Dallas health officials announced Tuesday the first case of Zika virus had beenidentified in the United States and was sexually transmitted. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the infection, but have not yet confirmed the mode of transmission.

An unnamed Dallas County patient contracted the virus after having sex with someone who had recently returned to the United States from a trip to Venezuela, according to reports.

"Now that we know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases ourawareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others," Zachary Thompson, the director of Dallas County Health and Human services, said in a statement. "Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention methodagainst any sexually transmitted infections."

Earlier case studies suggested that Zika virus could be transmitted sexually, bu

t were not conclusive. Still, it's important to remember that the primary vectorfor transmission of Zika virus is by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

"The science is clear to date that Zika virus is primarily transmitted to peoplethrough the bite of an infected mosquito,Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, said in a Jan. 28 press conference.

Zika virus hasn't been transmitted via mosquitoes in the U.S.

There have been local virus transmissions in 32 countries and territories to date, most notably Brazil. Since October, there have been more than 4,000 reportedcases of microcephaly -- a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally

small heads and neurological abnormalities -- that is strongly suspected to belinked to the Zika virus, though they havent been confirmed yet.

Unicef on Tuesday asked for $9 million to help educate Brazilian communities about eradicating mosquito breeding sites and mosquito bite prevention, according to the Associated Press.

The Dallas case comes on the heels of an announcement by the World Health Organization on Monday, declaring a "public emergency of international concern" surrounding the Zika outbreak and clusters of microcephaly.

Read more Zika virus coverage:

The Latest On Zika: New Countries Are Added To The CDC's Watch ListDon't Know Anything About Zika Virus? Start Here.

Here's Why We Don't Have A Vaccine For Zika Virus

Zika Virus Is At Least 50 Years Old. Here's Why You're Only Hearing About It Now.


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The Zika Virus Could Take A Huge Toll In The Americas

Hawaii Baby Contracts The First Case Of Zika Virus In The U.S.

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11 Comments

Christine KnappTexas? The whole damn country better be afraid because we all know what Texas thinks of healthcare. Hey Scotty--beam the whole damn state up to somewhere else.Please!Like Reply 7 9 hrs

Gavin CombsReally? You are actually praising the healthcare system throughout the rest of the nation as if it is something to be proud of? Unless you are from Canada, youshouldn't be talking.Like Reply 2 8 hrs

Rosa DuranYour comment would be funnier if what you posted wasn't so damn true.Like Reply 1 6 hrs

John Crown Bone Gap, IllinoisIt's Texas, they can deal with the smaller skull sizes.. its not like they use m

ost of their brains anyway... They did elect Ted Cruz, George W Bush, and ummm whats the 3rd one.. ummmm uhhhhh oh yea... Rick PerryLike Reply 5 8 hrs

Gavin CombsYou are from Illinois pal and you are criticizing other states about who they elected to office? Glass houses you are living in my friend. Glass houses. The urban legend is that the state prison in Illinois starts making a cell and mug shotfor the next governor once they are elected.Like Reply 1 8 hrs

Gail WilhelmHere we go again. Another scare offensive by the news media just berfore a natio

nal election. It's going to be the ebola frenzy by the main stream media again.Not one ebola death contracted in the US ever.Like Reply 4 10 hrs

Christine KnappDearest Gail How do you contract an ebola death? I'm thinking you can contract ebola but having the virus does not automatically gaurantee you will die. So maybe the media frenzy actually did have something to do with the fact that ebola did no reach our shores. BTW--I'm not sure it was the main stream media that was the outlet yelling the loudest. Check your facts--it was the right wing conservat


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ive yelling the loudest insisting that we close all borders and airports. Checkyou facts.Like Reply 3 9 hrs

James Turner LaSalle Senior High SchoolChristine Knapp the right wingers were enabled by the media who gave them a platform to gin up terror among the ill informed and easily frightened in order to get votes.. The virus DID reach our shores, we had several people very ill with it, but it was contained.No doubt, they will find a way to blame Obama for this too.Like Reply 4 9 hrs

Clarc King Bronx, New YorkAnother hoax, the MSM has gone nuts. Meanwhile the US national economy continuesinto accelerating collapse. 100 million Americans are driven into poverty caused by the Wall St. system. 500,000 middle aged Americans died in the last 10 years. The presidential campaign won't mention it. Wall St's control of the Money and the Economy is the national security crisis. Let's discuss the national security.Like Reply 2 9 hrs

Rosa DuranOh well, there are some people whose primary focus is upon the economy, money, assets, financial portfolios and other wordly goods and than there are other peop

le and related organizations, like the World Health Organization where the primary focus is upon disease control for the sake of humanity.Like Reply 6 hrs

Bert Preston MIt's not politically correct to say these tens of thousands of immigrant unscreened children coming up from South Ameirca are carrying these diseases, so I won't say that.Like Reply 6 hrs

Rosa Duran*SighLike Reply 6 hrs

Moan Ami Allendale, New JerseyTexas. Of course.Hopefully they will pass an open-carry condom law.Like Reply 7 10 hrs

Gavin CombsTo bad we weren't in Jersey. Our governor could have shut down the turn pikes which completely paralyze the state and the virus would have no chance of spreading.Like Reply 4 8 hrs

Jim Dutch Zakos Ocala, Florida

they are not telling us the whole truth..Like Reply 7 11 hrs

Christine KnappJim Who is they? There is actually a ton of information on this subject over thelast few months. Get your head out of your game console and pay attention and you won't have to be some kind of know nothing blaming all the problems on 'them'!Like Reply 2 9 hrs


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Fucenae MannChristine Knapp failed horribly. When given a chance to teach you chose to scaldinstead.... sad.Like Reply 9 hrs

Kate HetzelWait till the CDC comes clean and admits Lyme disease can be sexually transmitted. 300,000 new cases of Lyme a year and no cure!Like Reply 1 9 hrs

Jeffrey Bjes Works at Maintaining My SanityThey can't come clean about Lyme disease. There is too much evidence that it wasa man-made biological weapon.Like Reply 4 hrs

Abe DraytonHas it always been able to transmit this way, or is there clear evidence that this is new?Like Reply 5 hrs

Jeffrey Bjes Works at Maintaining My SanityGood question. We are learning all these new facts about Zika, but it has been around Africa and Asia for quite a few years. Did it mutate in South America or did we just ignore the details until it got close to home?

Like Reply 2 hrs

Jens Ole Stilling Copenhagen, DenmarkSex with a mosquito? What is going on?Like Reply 3 hrs

Jeffrey Bjes Works at Maintaining My SanityYou may feel a little prick.Like Reply 2 hrs

Thomas OShaughnessyGovernor Abbot will stomp it out !Like Reply 9 hrs

Gavin CombsHe will have to roll over it.Like Reply 1 8 hrs

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First US Case of Sexually Transmitted Zika Confirmed in Texas