Southern Nevada health officials confirm first Zika case not related to travel
The first Southern Nevada case of Zika virus disease not related to travel was confirmed this week in Clark County, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
A woman was tested Dec. 28, and results released Wednesday confirm that she tested positive for Zika virus disease. The health district’s website indicates the virus was transmitted to the woman by sexual contact.
No local mosquitoes have tested positive for the presence of Zika virus, and the woman did not have a travel history that would indicate she was infected in another region, according to the website.
The health district was not immediately available for comment. This is the 20th case of Zika reported in Southern Nevada since March.
Zika virus disease is a typically mild illness most often transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. It can cause rash, joint pain, fever and red eyes but became a hot topic in the news last year as cases in South America soared.
Infected pregnant women can suffer multiple problems including birth defects to the child like microcephaly, a condition in which a baby is born with a small head.
Contact Pashtana Usufzy at pusufzy@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Follow @pashtana_u on Twitter.
