The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a statement on Friday confirming the first Zika transmission from a female to a male. The report says that “This represents the first reported occurrence of female-to-male sexual transmission of Zika virus.”
Experts believed that Zika was only transmissible by mosquito bites or sexually from a male to a female or between two males. The fact that the virus can also be transmissible from a female to a male is worrisome.
This new virus is challenging to experts because a lot of its mechanisms are still unknown. Even when someone has contracted the virus, symptoms remain rarely noticeable. What is known by experts is that Zika is particularly dangerous for pregnant women. It causes a birth defect called microcephaly. It happens by targeting the fetuses’ nerve cells and results in babies with smaller heads and brain damage.
In the U.S, seven newborns have been diagnosed with microcephaly and five pregnancies have been terminated due to Zika infections. However, lawmakers failed to provide money to fight the disease.
The case found in New York involved a woman in her 20s who got back from a country – which is still unknown – where the disease is widespread. She had a sexual encounter with her partner the day upon her arrival in the United-States. She started experiencing symptoms seven days after her arrival. Her partner started experiencing symptoms a few days after her. Their symptoms included fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The doctor diagnosed both parties with the virus after conducting urine tests.
The report says that the man “did not report noticing any blood on his uncircumcised penis that could have been associated with vaginal bleeding or any open lesions on his genitals immediately following intercourse.”
It is yet unclear whether the virus is transmissible through vaginal fluids or menstrual blood. “Further studies are needed to determine if the virus is also found in the vaginal fluid of humans and, if so, for how long,” the report said.
This discovery calls for greater precautions. The fact that the disease can be transmissible not only from male to female sexual intercourse but also from female to male widens the risk of contractions.
The city of New York counts on increasing its educational campaign and mosquito’s surveillance.
