California

Second Zika Virus Case Confirmed in San Francisco: Health Officials

The Zika virus – spread mainly by mosquito bites – is epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean

San Francisco health officials said Friday that a San Francisco resident had tested positive for the Zika virus, bringing the total number of Zika cases in the city to two.

The patient is a pregnant woman who recently traveled to San Francisco from Central America, health officials said, adding that she did not pose a risk to the public, and Zika is not circulating in San Francisco, the Bay Area or California.

The California Department of Public Health informed city health officials of the positive test on Thursday.

"The test was requested by the patient’s provider, in consultation with the San Francisco Department of Public Health," a spokesperson for the San Francisco Department of Public Health said. "The patient currently has no Zika symptoms. She is receiving care and undergoing ongoing evaluation for her pregnancy."

Health officials are not releasing further details about the Zika case to protect patient privacy.

The first case of Zika virus in the Bay Area was confirmed by Napa County health officials in March.

In a statement, the Napa County Public Health Division said the California Department of Public Health has confirmed "a pregnant woman who traveled to Central America" contracted the virus, but she "is not showing symptoms of Zika virus infection at this time."

This is not the first case of the Zika virus in California. Other cases have been confirmed in Los

The Zika virus – spread mainly by mosquito bites – is epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean. The virus causes mild illness or no symptoms in most people. But in Brazil, officials are investigating a possible link to babies born with unusually small heads, a rare birth defect called microcephaly that can signal underlying brain damage.

For more information, visit cdc.gov/zika or sfcdcp.org/zika
 

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