The Zika virus claimed its first death on USA soil in Salt Lake County.
Advertisement
A Utah resident infected with the Zika virus has died, becoming the first Zika-related fatality in the continental United States, officials said Friday.
Florida health officials on Wednesday confirmed 11 new Zika infections in six counties, including Lake County, which reported its first case this year.
Moreover, it may not be possible to determine exactly how the Zika virus contributed to their death, it added.
On the website, the Salt Lake County Health Department said that though the individual has been tested positive for Zika virus, the real cause of death isn’t known yet.
Zika can be sexually transmitted, but health officials are most concerned about pregnant mothers who get the virus because it can cause serious birth defects, including microcephaly, which is characterized by small heads and brain damage in newborns. The vast majority of the cases were from people who traveled to a Zika-prone country, such as Brazil.
The best prevention measure is to avoid mosquito bites in areas with ongoing transmission.
The host of the 2016 Olympics has reported nearly 100,000 cases of zika virus and the virus can be transmitted by men to their sexual partners.That makes it different from other mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever and chikungunya.
Pennsylvania had the first US case of Zika not spread by mosquitoes or sex. Symptoms of the condition, which can also be caused by other viruses, can include temporary paralysis.
The health Department held a press conference that talked about the Zika virus related death.
“A Utah woman has died after becoming infected with the Zika virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department announced Friday”.
As a precaution, the Cincinnati Health Department recommended that travelers returning to the USA from an area with Zika should try to prevent mosquito bites for up to three weeks even if they do not feel sick.
While there is no vaccine to prevent Zika, travelers can protect themselves by taking steps to prevent mosquito bites.
Pregnant women and their children are considered to be at greatest risk from the disease. The case is travel related, just like the other 263 cases in the state. “For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected”.
Advertisement
The officials said they found out about the case by checking death certificates. The Centers for Disease Control said Thursday that 320 pregnant women across the country had contracted the virus.
