HOUSTON – The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Monday the first case of Zika virus disease in Rio Grande Valley.
It was confirmed last week that a woman, who is not pregnant, was infected when she tested positive for the virus, DSHS said. The woman told DSHS that she has not traveled to Mexico or anywhere with ongoing Zika virus.
“We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw a Zika case spread by a mosquito in Texas,” said Dr. John Hellerstedt, DSHS commissioner. “We still don’t believe the virus will become widespread in Texas, but there could be more cases, so people need to protect themselves from mosquito bites, especially in parts of the state that stay relatively warm in the fall and winter.”
DSHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the case together. They said their next step is to pinpoint in what area the woman got infected.
There has been no other reported cases of local spreading at this time.