Disease

1st death related to Zika virus seen in Continental U.S.

Earlier in April the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said first USA death from the virus was in Puerto Rico. The department has not released the name of the deceased or the person’s travel history but Executive Director Gary Edwards says he or she had traveled in the past year to an area of the world where mosquitos are known to spread Zika.

On Friday, Salt Lake County health officials confirmed that an elderly patient who had Zika died – but were unsure of how Zika contributed to that person’s death.

As of this week, 1,132 cases of travel-associated Zika had been reported in the USA, including 14 sexually transmitted cases.

Even in areas of the continental United States where mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika virus are found, health officials have not identified any Zika infections transmitted by local mosquitoes.

More than 1,000 Americans from the continental USA have contracted the disease – which is most often accompanied by only mild symptoms – while traveling, according to the Centres for Disease Control.