Maine’s first Zika case confirmed in Hancock County resident

[jpak]

http://bangordailynews.com/2016/02/25/news/state/maines-first-case-of-zika-virus-confirmed-in-hancock-county/

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Center for Disease Control announced Thursday that it has confirmed that a person in Hancock County has tested positive for the Zika virus.

The person, who is older than 65, recently traveled to a Zika-affected country and began experiencing symptoms after returning home. The traveler has not been hospitalized and is recovering at home, according to a CDC statement.

“The common link to this virus is travel, and this finding is not unexpected,” said Dr. Siiri Bennett, Maine’s state epidemiologist. “Several countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America are experiencing outbreaks and Mainers like to travel to warm places in the winter.”

Links between Zika and birth defects are being investigated by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Maine CDC recommends pregnant women and men who are sexually active with a pregnant woman who have traveled to a Zika-affected area be tested for the virus.

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The comments are amusing...

[Warpy]

1. Zika is a mild illness unless you're pregnant.

That's the reason it was so poorly studied after it was identified in Africa. Most people become immune as children and no Zika-microcephaly link was ever established there.

It's a good thing this was identified in Maine while the weather is still too cold for mosquitoes.

[jwirr]

2. Is there much indication that Zika virus will survive in cold

winter areas? I am in NE MN and we do have mosquitoes up here.