A pregnant Napa woman has tested positive for the Zika virus. KQED reports that the Napa County Public Health Division and the California Department of Public Health confirmed the case to the public, revealing that the woman, whose name has not been released, traveled to Central America within the last three months. She is not showing signs of Zika infection at the moment.
Dr. Karen Relucio, Napa County health officer, reminds the California public in a statement that, “This Zika virus case is not a threat to public health. There is no active transmission of Zika virus in Napa County, and the two kinds of mosquitos that transmit the virus have not been found here.”
Public health officials in California, as the Chronicle makes mention, have confirmed that six state residents tested positive for the virus, the first, according to KQED, from Yolo County.
The Zika virus, declared by the World Health Organization an international public health emergency as of February 1, has occupied news briefs and airwaves for some time now as it spreads mostly through Latin America and the Caribbean. It was first confirmed in Brazil in May 2015.
Zika is a mild illness, relatively speaking, but it appears to put women who are pregnant at risk of giving birth to babies with small heads, a birth defect called microcephaly. “Anyone who is planning to travel to a country with active Zika virus transmission should consult with their health care provider before leaving, especially if they are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant,” Relucio counseled.
Previously: Zika Virus Declared International Emergency By W.H.O., Detected In California