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Health Officials Report First Zika Virus Case In King County

Felipe Dana
/
AP Photo
The mosquitoes that transmit Zika aren't found in the Pacific Northwest so health officials don't expect the virus to spread.

The first case of the Zika virus has been reported in King County. It's the third case of Zika in Washington state. Officials are not concerned about an outbreak in the Pacific Northwest, but more cases are expected.

The King County case involved a man in his forties who recently traveled to the country of Colombia. That's one of the countries where Zika is actively spreading, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both Central America and Mexico, where Zika is also spreading, are popular travel destinations, so public health officials say it was only a matter of time before someone was diagnosed with the disease in King County.

But you won’t catch it from mosquitoes that live in the Pacific Northwest, so it won’t spread here.

Dr. Jeff Duchin with Public Health – Seattle and King County says the people who need to be most concerned are pregnant women.

“Locally, we would like pregnant women to understand that, if they’re planning to travel, they should check the destination, and if possible, avoid travel to areas where Zika virus is occurring,” cautioned Duchin. “Pregnant women should also understand that they can acquire Zika virus from their sexual partners if they’ve returned from an area where Zika virus is occurring.”

Zika is of particular concern for pregnant women because it’s linked to birth defects that can cause brain and skull abnormalities. Local health officials are working with doctors to determine whether patients need testing.

In people who aren’t pregnant, Zika causes minor illness, or no symptoms at all. There isn’t any medicine to treat the disease, and no vaccine to prevent infection.