Williamson County confirmed its first case of the Zika virus on Tuesday. The person was infected when they traveled to a country plagued by the virus. A traveled-related Zika virus case in Collin County was also reported on Monday.
Deb Stahler of the Williamson County and Cities Health District confirmed the Zika virus case, and the fact that the person had recently traveled outside of the U.S. to the infested country, reported the Austin American Statesman.
Stahler also said the focus is still on the West Nile virus and the chance of getting infecting with the Zika virus is extremely low. She told the Statesman, “We’re still focusing on the West Nile virus. It’s operations as usual here … but we want people to make sure they’re protecting themselves.”
The Austin newspaper said that the first case of the Zika virus in Travis County (Austin) was reported in February. The 50-year-old man had traveled to Columbia. Also reported in February was the story about a woman who had traveled to Columbia who had contacted the virus when she was there.
On Monday, The Dallas Morning News reported that a Frisco woman who traveled outside of the U.S. had also tested positive for the Zika virus. It reported that Dallas County has had six confirmed cases this year and Denton County, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, has had two confirmed cases.
Breitbart Texas reported in February that the number of cases in the Lone Star State had reached up to thirteen confirmed cases, including one in Dallas County and two in Bexar County.
A pregnant woman in Houston who is from El Salvador, tested positive for the Zika virus in late April, as reported by Breitbart Texas. The Zika virus is prolific in El Salvador. The woman came to Houston from the country earlier this year. A representative from the center where she was receiving care said it is unknown whether the woman contacted the virus through a bite from a mosquito or sexual contact.
Zika is a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and it has also been spread through sexual contact. Dallas County health officials confirmed its first sexually-transmitted Zika virus in early February, as reported by Breitbart Texas.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded that the virus is a great threat to pregnant women because it is “a cause of microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects.” The CDC has issued warnings to pregnant women telling them to avoid traveling to Zika affected countries.
Those who have visited one of the countries that have been affected by the Zika virus should see their doctor if they have a fever or aches when they return to the states.
Lana Shadwick is a writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2
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