According to health officials, it was confirmed the first case of Zika virus in the state of Michigan.
Zika infection is a tropical illness spread by a mosquito species not found in Michigan. However, since Americans use to travel to tropical countries in order to escape snowbound states, statistically speaking it can be expected that some of them could return from those countries infected with Zika.
According to the website mlive.com, the first case of Zika virus infection in Michigan was confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Linda Vail, health officer with Ingham County, explained that because this is the first case in the state, it might sounds scary for the residents.
It is expected that more cases could be found, since the health officials are testing around the state people coming back with symptoms consistent with Zika. Right now, across Michigan health departments and hospitals are on a heightened alert for Zika.
First confirmed Zika case in Michigan arrived from a contact with the virus on the Caribbean island of Barbados. The carrier of the Zika infection was a 61-year-old woman from the Lansing area. She has already recovered, according to Vail. The identity of the woman was not released by the health officials, but they declared that she wasn't pregnant. The woman from the Lansing area was tested several weeks ago but her Zika infection was confirmed Wednesday.
The blood work is sent by Michigan hospitals directly to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The state of Michigan doesn't yet have the ability to test for Zika. According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, this will be possible only within about a month.
According to the CDC, there are about 90 confirmed cases in the United States alone. However, all of the cases of infection with Zika virus are associated with people infected while traveling to a country where the virus is circulating. Among the reports 14 are currently investigated by the CDC for cases where the virus was being transmitted between humans during sex.
Most of the U.S. cases of Zika virus infection are in Florida, according to the CDC. As of Feb. 17 Florida had 21 travel-associated cases. The other states with a high number of cases are Texas with 12 and New York with 11.
