Fiocruz institute said Thursday that additional studies will be needed to determine what role the widespread Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito has played in the dissemination of Zika.
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The Zika outbreak has spread through much of South and Central America and the Caribbean, as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, and is blamed for more than 1,000 confirmed cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
So far, 1,404 people in 46 US states have contracted Zika, including 15 cases that were sexually acquired.
Officials not only advise pregnant women and those trying to conceive to avoid traveling to places where the virus is prevalent – including the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Guyana and Colombia – but to use protection when having sex with a partner who has traveled to those areas. If the virus is there, they want to prevent its spread.
Officials did not give other details about the person who was infected.
“Our best option is to try to find these mosquitoes quickly so that way we can eliminate them prior to their establishment”, said Ary Faraji, manager of the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District.
There is no vaccine for Zika.
In New York City, officials said more than 41 pregnant women have tested positive for the Zika virus, which can cause microcephaly, a condition in which the child is born with a head that is smaller than normal. Although the infant’s mother never described symptoms of illness, antibodies against Zika found in her infant suggest maternal infection during an early stage of the pregnancy.
The department urged people living in the area and visiting to respond to requests for blood and urine samples.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will give Arkansas $5.6 million to fight the Zika virus.
