The infection was identified in a 60-year-old woman who recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean.
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A spokesman for the Chicago Department of Public Health declined to address specifics of any Zika virus cases, but said the public at large is at extremely low risk of transmission because the virus is not known to spread through casual contact.
Health officials said one of the newly confirmed cases is a pregnant woman.
“I think what’s important about this virus is to understand that the overwhelming majority of patients will have no symptoms at all, and those who have symptoms, the overwhelming majority are going to recover completely”, Luskin-Hawk said. “She is not now pregnant and does not appear to need any additional medical follow-up”. Her positive Zika result was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. Scientists say the hotter it gets, the better the mosquito that carries Zika virus is at transmitting a variety of unsafe illnesses. Researchers, however, are studying a possible link between mothers infected with Zika virus while pregnant and a birth defect called microcephaly.
The woman who contracted Zika has made a full recovery.
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Luskin Hawk said anyone traveling to an area with a Zika should take precautions to prevent mosquito bites, including using mosquito repellent whenever they’re outside.
