Health officials confirmed yesterday that three people in New York State have tested positive for the Zika virus. The mosquito-borne illness causes birth defects and has been plaguing Latin American, South American and Caribbean nations in a recent outbreak.
According to officials, one patient is from Queens, and the other two are from Nassau and Orange Counties. All three patients had recently traveled outside the United States to countries that have been affected by the outbreak, and all three are expected to fully recover.
"There is virtually no risk of acquiring Zika virus in New York State at this time as the virus cannot be spread by casual contact with an infected person and mosquitoes are not active in cold winter months," DOH Commissioner Howard Zucker said in a statement. "But since this is a time of year when people travel to warmer climates and countries where Zika virus is found, we are urging residents, especially pregnant women, to check all health advisories before traveling and take preventive measures when traveling to affected countries."
According to the CDC, only one in 5 people infected with Zika will get sick, and symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Severe symptoms and deaths are rare, but there may be a link between pregnant women who've been infected with Zika and microcephaly, a birth defect that causes abnormally small heads. Brazil, which has been hit hard by Zika, says nearly 4,000 babies have been born with suspected microcephaly since October, and U.S. officials say pregnant women should avoid traveling to countries affected by the outbreak.
The CDC has issued travel warnings for South America, the Caribbean, Samoa, Cape Verde, Central America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
There is no vaccine or medication for Zika.
