There have been about 30 cases in the United States in the past year, all travellers who brought it into the country.
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The virus has been linked to microcephaly, a condition in newborns marked by abnormally small heads and brains that have not developed properly.
The Health Service Executive has said that the diagnosis of the first case of the Zika virus in Ireland is not unexpected, as many other European countries have reported infections.
Thirty-four people were infected with the virus in Mexico, while three got the the virus overseas, the health official told the Imagen radio rebroadcaster in an interview.
On Tuesday night, the United States reported its first known case of Zika being transmitted within the country through sexual contact. An outbreak was reported in Brazil previous year, and has since spread to the Caribbean islands and Central America.
Latin American countries, particularly Brazil, have reported a leap in cases of microcephaly since the Zika outbreak was declared in the region a year ago.
Normally the virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. A special guideline will be published for doctors to help them deal with pregnant patients who have been infected with the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) has said a person in Dallas, Texas, is being treated for the flu-like virus after having sex with a partner who had returned from Venezuela.
“We need to be very cautious and have to take preventive measures to keep the virus at bay”, said the Mumbai-based expert.
“We know that the mosquitoes that carry Zika virus… are present through most of Africa, parts of southern Europe and many parts of Asia, particularly south Asia”, he said. Just a few days earlier, the CDC had emphasized that current science only allowed for the “plausibility of spread” through sexual contact, but that mosquitoes were still the most likely source of infection.
The disease is spread by the Aedes species of mosquito, a mosquito that used to be found only in tropical and subtropical areas but is now found on every continent except Antarctica.
Hundreds of reporters packed Olympic headquarters on Tuesday to hear about ticket sales, venue construction and a reminder that Friday marks six months until the opening of the games on August 5. The disease can cause fever, rash, muscle and joint aches and red eyes, but also has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly and other poor birth outcomes in some women infected during their pregnancy.
As of February 2, a total of 293 blood samples from patients with dengue symptoms, who tested negative for the disease were tested for Zika but results also came out negative, Dr Subramaniam said.
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In addition, the CDC said there have been documented cases of virus transmission during labor, blood transfusion and laboratory exposure.
