The patient who died in late June was elderly and also suffered from another health condition, according to the Salt Lake County Health Department.
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Zika virus represents a serious threat to pregnant women because it can cause congenital brain malformations including microcephaly, characterized by an underdeveloped skull and a small brain. Salt Lake County officials said neither species is present in their area. “Jurisdictions can use these funds to identify and investigate a possible outbreak, to coordinate a response across all levels of government, to identify and connect families affected by Zika to community services”, Haynes said.
In parts of the USA where mosquitoes are prone to carry the Zika virus, health officials have not found Zika-carrying mosquitos among them, according to Deseret News.
The first confirmed Zika-related death in continental USA has occurred in Salt Lake County. They also note that this is the first death linked to the virus in the continental United States.
It’s spread mainly through the bite of a tropical mosquito, the Aedes aegpyti. “This person had an underlying medical condition and tested positive for Zika, so we know it contributed to [the death], but we don’t know that it was the sole cause [of death]”, said Dr. Dagmar Vitek, medical director for the Salt Lake County Department of Health. Earlier in the year, the CDC reported the first ever U.S death from Zika in Puerto Rico.
As of Friday, the California Department of Public Health reported 77 people with Zika statewide, including 18 pregnant women. He mentioned that other mosquito-borne diseases travellers should be mindful about are Dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya.
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While the Utah resident had the disease, officials are still unsure of whether it contributed to the cause of death. There have not been any reports of anyone who has contracted the Zika virus a mosquito in the United States, though mosquitoes that have been known to carry it reportedly live in some states, like Texas and Georgia. Men who have traveled to areas where Zika is actively spreading and did not develop symptoms of Zika virus infection should use a condom or abstain from sex for at least eight weeks after returning from travel.
