First Case Of Zika Virus Reported In Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Health officials are reporting Iowa's first case of the Zika virus.
The Department of Public Health announced Friday that the female victim, who wasn't named, tested positive for the virus. The agency says she's between 61 and 80 years old and had traveled in Central America, where the disease is being transmitted.
The department's medical director, Patricia Quinlisk, says the public isn't at risk of contracting the virus, which is typically spread by mosquitoes that aren't in Iowa.
There has been one infection in Texas attributed to sexual transmission.
Zika has been linked to birth defects, including infants with small heads.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises pregnant women to delay traveling to countries where the virus is being transmitted.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika.
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