New York City’s health department on Friday reported the first female-to-male transmission of the Zika virus, which is most typically spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
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This case report aligns with multiple publications that document male-to-female2 transmission and male-to-male3 transmission of Zika virus, according to Dr. Amelia Pinto and Dr. James D. Brien, Assistant Professors, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Although no cases of woman-to-woman Zika transmission have been reported, these recommendations now also apply to female sex partners of pregnant women. Men and women who travel to Zika-affected regions should wait two months before having unprotected sex with their partners, provided they have no symptoms.
Eleven countries, including the United States, have reported cases of apparent sexual transmission of Zika virus from one person to another, according to the World Health Organization.
The first case of female-to-male sexual transmission of the Zika virus has been documented in New York City, raising the prospect that the disease could spread more widely beyond the countries where it is already endemic and largely transmitted by mosquitoes. A woman in her 20s reported she had engaged in a single event of sexual intercourse with a man on the day she returned from traveling to an undisclosed area with ongoing Zika transmission.
“Anytime you see male-to-female transmission, there’s always the risk of female-to-male transmission – we found that with HIV”, said Siegel, who was not part of the research.
For the reason that Zika can be transmitted from male sexual partners, the CDC recommends pregnant women whose male partners have been in location prevalent with Zika virus, to use condoms or abstain from sex during pregnancy.
Last month, on the day the NY woman returned from a trip to a Zika-infected country, she had vaginal sex with her partner, without a condom, health officials were told.
When her male partner developed symptoms seven days later and sought treatment from the same caregiver, he, too, was diagnosed with Zika.
The woman began menstruating the day after they had sex.
The CDC has made a decision to update their guide for sexually active people and also for reducing the risk of contracting Zika virus for pregnant people.
The vast majority of Zika infections have occurred in Latin America, with Brazil the hot zone with an estimated 7,000 cases of microcephaly. Women can visit the CDC website for more information on Zika during pregnancy.
The Zika virus causes only a mild illness, at worst, in most people. There have been no reports of Zika-induced microcephaly contracted in the United States.
To limit any potential spread of Zika virus via mosquitoes, health officials on the federal, state and local level are deploying a three-pronged strategy: improving mosquito control; expanding their ability to test for Zika; and urging the public to protect themselves against mosquitoes.
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You’ve probably seen a lot of headlines about the Zika virus, but you may have some confusion about if and how Zika will affect you.
