Dallas: Zika passed via sex
Case first infection in US in this cycle
Dallas health officials said Tuesday that a local was infected with the Zika virus by having sex with a person who had contracted the disease while traveling in Venezuela.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the traveler and the sexual partner tested positive for the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects.
This represents the first case of someone being infected while in the U.S. during this outbreak, the CDC said Tuesday.
The other Zika cases in the U.S. have all involved people who have returned from Zika-affected regions. The CDC is now urging sexual partners to wear condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
“According to a Dallas County Health Department investigation, a person who recently traveled to an area with Zika virus transmission returned to the United States and developed Zika-like symptoms. The person later tested positive for Zika, along with their sexual partner, who had not traveled to the area. In this instance there was no risk to a developing fetus,” the CDC said in a statement.
Public health officials have stressed that the Zika virus, which has now spread to nearly 30 countries and regions, is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. There have been isolated reports of transmission through sexual activity. But if the virus is shown to be transmitted readily through sexual contact, it could only further complicate efforts to halt Zika’s spread.
The CDC is now saying that the best way to avoid the Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites and for sexual partners to wear condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
The CDC said it will issue guidance in the coming days on prevention of sexual transmission of the Zika virus, with a focus on the male sexual partners of women who are or may be pregnant.
Until more is known, the agency said, the CDC continues to recommend that pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant postpone travel to the areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing. Pregnant women who will travel to one of those areas should talk to health care professionals first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during their trips.
Pregnant women should also avoid exposure to semen from someone who has been exposed to the Zika virus, the agency said. Women trying to become pregnant should consult with health care professionals if their partners have had exposure to the Zika virus.
Health experts said the Dallas case raises new questions about how the virus is spread.
“It looks like a pretty well-documented case of sexual transmission,” said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“Obviously, this adds a new dimension that needs to be addressed,” he said, noting the CDC’s plans to update its guidance on the subject.
For medical confidentiality and personal privacy reasons, Dallas health authorities said they are not providing additional identifying information.
“Now thatwe know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases our awareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others,” said Zachary Thompson, Dallas County Health and Human Services director. “Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention method against any sexually transmitted infections.”
Common symptoms of the Zika virus include fever, rash and joint pain, the CDC says, with cases usually ranging from several days to aweek.
The World Health Organization designated the Zika virus and its suspected complications in newborns as a public health emergency of international concern Monday.
The action, which the international body has taken only three times before, paves theway for the mobilization of more funding and manpower to fight the mosquito-borne pathogen spreading “explosively” through the Americas.