Zika virus photo courtesy of the CDC.
SAN DIEGO–A San Diego resident, who traveled to Colombia and returned in January is the first Zika virus case reported in the region this year, the County Health and Human Services Agency said Friday.
The woman is believed to have contracted the virus while in Colombia, was not pregnant and was not hospitalized. She has fully recovered, similar to the two previous cases of travel-associated Zika infections reported in San Diego. A local Zika virus case was reported in July 2014 and another in July 2015. Both people contracted the virus while visiting tropical islands in the South Pacific.
“There is no immediate threat from Zika if people have not traveled to known affected areas,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “Anyone who is planning travel to a country with active Zika virus transmission should consult their doctors before leaving, especially if they are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been no reported mosquito-transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. Thirty-five countries and territories in the Americas, Africa and the Pacific Ocean have recently reported locally acquired Zika infections. Although Mexico has reported cases from local mosquitos, none have been in Baja California. An up-to-date list of Zika-affected countries can be found at the CDC Zika virus Web page.
