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First U.S. Zika Virus Transmission Reported, Likely via Sex Rather than Mosquito Bite

posted by martyb on Thursday February 04 2016, @07:28AM   Printer-friendly
from the Trojan-DEET dept.

takyon writes:

The outbreak of the Zika virus has reached the U.S., and the virus was likely transmitted through sexual contact rather than a mosquito bite:

The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, a day after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency.

The virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in the Americas, and WHO officials on Tuesday expressed concern that it could hit Africa and Asia as well. Zika had been thought to be spread by the bite of mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, so sexual contact as a mode of transmission would be a potentially alarming development.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it was the first U.S. Zika case in someone who had not traveled abroad in the current outbreak, said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden on Twitter. However, the CDC has not investigated how the virus was transmitted.

After this case, the CDC advised men to consider using condoms after traveling to areas with the Zika virus. Pregnant women should avoid contact with semen from men exposed to the virus.

CDC Zika page.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday February 04 2016, @02:56PM

    by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday February 04 2016, @02:56PM (#298978)

    My first counter argument is that I have had mosquitos bite me and not know it for a while so there may be some I never noticed. Can't just take the guy saying "nope, no bites" as scientific.

    Unless maybe if they waited awhile, examined him, and still found no bites...

    And if you actually read the article they sound really unsure about the whole sexual transmission thing.

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  • (Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:11PM

    by JeanCroix (573) on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:11PM (#298984)
    What I can't figure out is why they're leaning more toward sexual transmission rather than saliva. Unless they're absolutely certain (how?) the sexual encounter in question included zero kissing. Don't most human sexual encounters of the unpaid kind include some level of mouth-to-mouth contact?

    • (Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:30PM

      by tangomargarine (667) on Thursday February 04 2016, @03:30PM (#298994)

      I would assume that "sexual transmission" includes oral sex. Something about moist surfaces coming in contact (not exactly what you were saying but hey).

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