Southern Arizona county confirms first case of travel-related Zika virus
Aug 18, 2016, 2:34 PM | Updated: 2:35 pm
(AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)
(AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)
PHOENIX — Another Arizona county has confirmed its first case of travel-related Zika virus, it was announced Thursday.
Santa Cruz County Health Services said in a press release that it confirmed the case in a person who contracted Zika while in an infected area.
The Santa Cruz County person is the 24th case of travel-related Zika in the state.
The infected person was ordered to stay indoors and to take preventative measures to ensure she is not bitten so the virus cannot spread.
Most people who are infected with Zika do not become ill. Those that do report symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. Few of those infected are hospitalized.
Santa Cruz county said it plans to step up surveillance of mosquitoes to prevent the spread of Zika. The county already traps mosquitoes for monitoring purposes and treats mosquito breeding sites.
Arizona’s first Zika case was verified in March. An older woman was infected while she was in one of the affected areas outside of the United States.
Despite international concerns over the virus and the fact that Arizona is home to the insect that transmits Zika — the Aedes aegypti mosquito — the Arizona Department of Health Services has repeatedly said there is little chance the sickness will spread in the state.
