State health officials have confirmed the first case of the Zika virus in the state of Kansas. The patient is an adult in southwest Kansas, reports The Topeka Capital-Journal. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the case involves a person who had traveled to a country with “local Zika virus transmission.” The patent’s diagnosis was then confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
No other details were provided. Isolated Zika cases have also been seen in Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
The Zika virus is mainly transmitted by a specific type of mosquito. Most people who get the disease show no symptoms. Some victims of the virus suffer from fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye. Health officials are also investigating whether the virus is linked to birth defects in the children of women who caught the virus while pregnant.
