North Idaho woman tests positive for Zika virus

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare a north Idaho woman over the age of 60 who recently traveled to Mexico is confirmed to have been infected with Zika virus. The virus can cause severe birth defects if infection occurs in pregnant women. This is the first reported case of Zika virus infection in the state, with Idaho becoming the 47th state to report a travel-related Zika virus infection this year. The woman reportedly had symptoms, but did not require hospitalization.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is most commonly spread through the bite of the Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which are not found in Idaho. Because of this, there is no danger to the general public of the virus circulating through casual contact.

Only one in five people exposed to the virus usually develop any symptoms, which are usually mild and last from a few days to a week after infection. The most common symptoms of infection are fever, rash, muscle and joint aches, and pinkeye. Zika is known to cause serious birth defects and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies whose mothers are infected during pregnancy. There is no preventive vaccine for Zika virus.