A Hidalgo County resident, who was previously diagnosed with Zika, most likely contracted the virus in Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported Wednesday.
The department said that because the individual had not recently traveled outside the area and had not had any other risk factors, the infection was probably transmitted by a mosquito bite in the South Texas region sometime in the last few months. Laboratory testing showed the individual is no longer at risk of spreading the virus to mosquitoes, DSHS said in a news release.
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Additional testing prompted by a DSHS recommendation in April expanded testing of pregnant women and people with Zika symptoms led to the identification of this infection, the first this year that appears to have been transmitted by a mosquito in Texas.
There is no evidence of ongoing Zika transmission in the state at this time, but public health officials are continuing to conduct human and mosquito surveillance to find any future Zika infections as early as possible, the DSHS release said.
The most common Zika symptoms are: rash, fever, joint pain and eye redness. People should contact their provider about testing if they experience a rash plus one of the other symptoms.
People throughout the Rio Grande Valley and Texas should protect themselves from mosquito bites by:
• Using EPA-approved insect repellent every time they go outside.
• Using air conditioning or window and door screens that are in good repair to keep mosquitoes out.
• Limiting outdoor activities during peak mosquito times.
• Covering exposed skin with long pants and long-sleeved shirts whenever possible.
• Removing standing water in and around homes, including in trash cans, toys, tires, flower pots and any other containers so mosquitoes can’t lay their eggs.
• Using a larvicide in water that can’t be drained to keep mosquitoes from developing into biting adults.
Texas previously had six locally-transmitted cases of Zika in Brownsville in November and December 2016. More information about Zika can be found at TexasZika.org.
