LANSING, Mich. – An Ingham County woman is the first person in Michigan to contract the Zika virus.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement Wednesday afternoon. They say the woman had been traveling to a country where Zika is being transmitted. She is not pregnant, but experienced symptoms consistent with Zika shortly after she returned to Michigan.
Zika is spread primarily through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The type of mosquito is not found in Michigan, but are frequently found in tropical and subtropical areas.
The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and red, itchy eyes. Symptoms are usually mild and last for several days. Many people don’t experience symptoms. Pregnant woman are most at risk for complications from Zika and serious birth defects have been reported in children born to infected women.
For the most up-to-date information about where Zika virus is found, visit http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information.
For more information about Zika virus, visit www.cdc.gov/zika.
