From: Young, Misty [mailto:YoungM@lincolnu.edu] Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2016 10:07 AM Subject: Zika Infections Detected in the US FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT PAMELA DONNER (Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and Research (LUCER) Media Center (573) 681-5554 February 4, 2016 Zika virus infections detected in the US- Disease is not only transmitted by mosquitoes Jefferson City, MO- Lincoln University Cooperative Extension (LUCE) is providing accurate and timely information about Zika (pronounced Zee-Kah) virus, an emerging disease. The first case of locally acquired Zika in the continental U.S. occurred through sexual transmission in Texas, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday, according to CNN. The case, announced by Dallas County health officials, involved a patient who had sex with someone who had recently returned from Venezuela infected with the mosquito-borne virus. On Jan. 30, 2016, Jamaican health officials confirmed the Caribbean nation's first case of the Zika virus in a 4-year-old child who recently returned from a trip to Texas. Zika is caused by a virus mostly transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya. Other relevant facts: · The virus is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific · About one in five people infected with Zika will get sick. For people who get sick, the illness is usually mild. For this reason, people may not realize they are infected. · People with Zika virus disease usually have a mild fever, skin rash (exanthema) and conjunctivitis. These symptoms normally last for two-to-seven days. · There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available. · The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites. · The first report of sexually-transmitted Zika virus in the U.S. (Texas) involved a patient who had sex with someone who had recently returned from Venezuela infected with the mosquito-borne virus · Zika is prompting worldwide concern because of an alarming connection to a neurological birth disorder (microcephaly) and the rapid spread of the virus across the globe · At present, the most important protective measures are the control of mosquito populations and the prevention of mosquito bites in at-risk individuals, especially pregnant women. Since October 2015, several countries and territories of the Americas have reported the presence of the virus in 25 countries so far. In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed the transmission of Zika virus in the northeast part of the country. On March 3, 2014, Chile confirmed a case of indigenous transmission of Zika virus on Easter Island, where the virus continued to be detected until June 2014. Zika virus was first identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. For more information, contact Dr. Jaime C. Piñero, State Extension Specialist, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), at PineroJ@LincolnU.edu<mailto:PineroJ@LincolnU.edu> or call (573) 681-5522. . ### Misty Young Director, Office of University Relations 573-681-6032 www.lincolnu.edu<http://www.lincolnu.edu/> [150signature]