Source: The Guardian
Officials in Texas have reported the first case
of Zika contracted in the US mainland, and said that the
virus was sexually transmitted. If confirmed, the case would be
only the second documented example of the virus being passed
between humans through sexual contact.
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
confirmed the Zika infection, while Dallas County officials said
they performed the "public health follow-up" to determine that the
infection was sexually transmitted.
"Based on what we know now, the best way to avoid Zika virus
infection is to prevent mosquito bites AND to avoid
exposure to semen from someone who has been exposed to Zika virus
or has been ill from Zika virus infection," the CDC wrote. It is
unclear how long the virus may linger in men's semen after virus
The CDC spokesperson further added, "We have not made
recommendations regarding sexual transmission of Zika virus."
Just a few days earlier, the CDC had emphasized that current
science only allowed for the "plausibility of spread" through
sexual contact, but that mosquitoes were still the most likely
source of infection.
"There is one reported case of Zika virus through possible
sexual transmission," Dr Anne Schuchat, CDC deputy director, said
in a press briefing on Zika on 28 January. "That gives you the
plausibility of spread, but the science is clear to date that Zika
virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an
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