According to the Florida Department of Health, officials have confirmed the first sexually transmitted case of Zika in 2017.
A resident of Pinellas County was infected with Zika during a recent trip to Cuba. Following the resident’s return to the U.S., the resident’s partner showed symptoms of Zika, which is most commonly transmitted by mosquitoes. Both individuals tested positive for the virus.
“There is no evidence of ongoing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes in any area of Florida. It is important to remember Zika can also be transmitted sexually and to take precautions if you or your partner traveled to an area where Zika is active,” stated the Florida Department of Health.
Zika cases are not unheard of in Florida. There have been 118 Zika cases reported in the state this year, many of them linked to international travel. Cases involving locally inquired infections in 2017, explained the Florida Department of Health, were all caused by exposure to the virus in 2016.
However, sexually transmitted cases of the virus have been very rare.
Zika is known to have minor symptoms, including fever, rash, joint pain and pinkeye. But the virus can be very extremely dangerous for pregnant women, potentially causing devastating birth defects, such as microcephaly.
With this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that men infected with Zika wait at least six months after their diagnosis before having unprotected sex with a female partner. If the female partner is pregnant, the infected male should wear barrier contraception throughout the entire pregnancy.
The Food and Drug Administration does not test all sperm donations for Zika. Nonetheless, it has taken precautions against the virus. It will not accept any anonymous donations within six months of being diagnosed with Zika or of traveling to an area infected with Zika, as well as sperm from a man who within six months has had sex with someone who may have been infected.
