S.D. Sees First Case Of Zika Virus
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota's Health Department says a state resident has tested positive for the Zika virus — the first such case in the state.
Officials say the case is in a woman who traveled to a country where the virus has been spreading. She later developed symptoms.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the infection. The woman wasn't identified.
The Zika virus causes symptoms including fever, muscle and eye pain, and a rash. It can cause a severe birth defect known as microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. It's spread by mosquitoes and sexual contact.
State Epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger says the confirmation of South Dakota's first case is a good reminder that people who travel to Zika-infected areas should protect themselves from mosquito bites.
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