First Recorded Zika Infected Woman in New Hampshire, Acquired the Virus through Sexual Contact

New Hampshire recorded its very first Zika virus case with a woman victim. However, she was not bitten by a carrier mosquito.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says that the woman acquired the virus by having a sexual contact with a man who traveled from a country where Zika was present. The man has the symptoms of the virus, it added.

According to Boston, the department stated that the woman has fully recovered and was not pregnant.

"Identifying cases in New Hampshire is not unexpected, although the most common means of transmission of the virus is through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Sexual transmission is less common," Marcella Bobinsky, acting director of public health at DHHS, said in a statement.

This type of mosquitoes with Zika virus is not found in New Hamshire. These mosquitoes are normally found in South America, Africa, Pacific Islands and South East Asia.

However, symptoms are only seen to only about 20 percent of those who got infected. Zika virus causes microcephaly to newborns when their mother contracted with the virus during pregnancy. Symptoms include small skull and underdeveloped brain.

"Our greatest concern is for pregnant women who may be exposed to the virus through travel, or the travel of their partners," Bobinsky said.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of Feb. 24, there are 107 cases of Zika that had been reported in 25 states and three territories. All of which are travel-associated.

Most of the cases are from Florida with 28 counts, while New York has 17 reported cases is the least. CDC has warned all pregnant women about traveling. They were also told to abstain from sexual activity or use condom if their male partner travels to Zika-affected areas, Mass Live reported.

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services released a statement that encourages others who are planning to travel to Zika-affected area to be careful not to get bitten by the mosquitoes.

Zika virus symptoms include rashes, fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis. There is no vaccine to fight the virus or medicine to treat it as of now.

© 2024 ParentHerald.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics