Zika Virus Transmitted Through Sexual Intercourse

A rare case of the Zika Virus being transmitted through sex has been reported in the US. Zika Virus was initially reported to be transmitted by mosquito bite.

A Patient infected in Dallas County, Texas has contracted the virus through sexual contact with an infected person who travelled to Venezuela. Several cases of Zika virus had been confirmed across the United States, but only among people who were believed to have contracted the virus while traveling abroad in countries with active Zika virus outbreaks. The case in Dallas is the first time that experts believe a person with Zika symptoms contracted the virus within the United States.
Zika is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

It is spreading through the Americas and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease linked to the virus a global public health emergency.

Prior to the case in Dallas, experts did not know whether the virus could be spread through sexual contact. “Now that we know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases our awareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others,” Zachary Thompson, Dallas County Health and Human Services director, said in a statement.
The American Red Cross has meanwhile urged prospective blood donors returning from Zika-hit countries to wait at least 28 days before donating their blood.

Elsewhere:
Two cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in Australia. Officials said the two Sydney residents had recently returned from the Caribbean.

Zika has also been found in two unrelated cases in the Republic of Ireland, officials there said. A man and an older woman, who have both recovered, had a history of travelling to a Zika-affected country.

Meanwhile, Brazil - the country worst hit by the outbreak - has revealed it is investigating 3,670 suspected cases of microcephaly in babies linked to the Zika virus.

The "self-deferral" should apply to people returning from Mexico, the Caribbean or Central or South America during the past four weeks, the Red Cross said in a statement.

A total of 404 cases have so far been confirmed - up from 270 last week - while 709 cases have been discarded, the country's health ministry said.
The ministry also said 76 infant deaths from microcephaly, either during pregnancy or just after birth, were suspected.
The main way Zika is spread is by mosquitoes.

But if Zika can also spread through sex, then it poses a risk to every country not just those with the Aedes mosquito.

So far, authorities have said sexual transmission is rare, but last year they would have said any case of Zika was rare, too.

This explosive outbreak has caught the world by surprise and many key questions remain unanswered.

Exactly how common or rare is sexual transmission? Can it be spread by the 80% of people who show no symptoms? How long does the virus persist in semen? When is it safe to have sex again?
What should men do after visiting affected countries? Can women also spread the virus through sex?
However, this is not a new HIV/Aids moment. HIV infection is incurable and dramatically shortens lives without daily medication.
Zika infections are short, mild and pose a significant threat only in pregnancy.
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Texas has seen seven other Zika cases all related to foreign travel.

But Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director for CDC, said this was the first case it had dealt with involving a "non-traveller".

"We don't believe this was spread through mosquito bites, but we do believe it was spread through a sexual contact."

A statement issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said the best way to avoid Zika virus infection was "to prevent mosquito bites and to avoid exposure to semen from someone who has been exposed to Zika".

Symptoms are:“What we know about the virus so far is that it’s a mild, short-lasting virus. Some people can actually have the virus and not even realize it, or not get very sick at all.