Riverside County Confirms First Case Of Zika Virus

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA.com) — Public health officials in Riverside County say they have confirmed their first case of the Zika virus in a 50-year-old man who recently traveled to the Caribbean.

The patient, who lives in southwest Riverside County, likely became infected when he visited the Dominican Republic, where Zika-infected mosquitoes are present, Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said in a statement. The patient is expected to fully recover.

"While Riverside County is one of the last counties in Southern California to have a confirmed case, we always knew it would happen eventually," said Kaiser. "We will continue working with our partners in health care and vector control to protect our residents, especially pregnant women and the unborn, who are most at risk."

There have been no locally acquired Zika cases in the continental United States, health officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, California has 55 confirmed cases of Zika, all of which are associated with travel.

Zika is most commonly transmitted by a bite from an infected mosquito, but can also spread from mother to unborn child, through sexual contact and through blood transfusions.