Ohio reports 1st case of Zika through sexual transmission
COLUMBUS (AP) — State health officials say a woman in northwest Ohio has acquired the Zika virus through sexual transmission.
The Ohio Department of Health announced today that the 61-year-old Lucas County woman is the state’s first case of the virus being spread through sexual contact.
The Zika virus is spread mainly by a tropical mosquito and causes mild or no symptoms in most people. But during pregnancy, it can cause fetal death and severe birth defects.
State health officials say the woman and her husband had traveled to a country with active Zika virus transmission. Both cases bring Ohio’s total confirmed Zika cases to 16.
The state says local officials are working to reduce the risk that area mosquitoes become infected by biting the couple and spreading the virus to others.