Zika Confirmed In Allegheny Co Pennsylvania Traveler

[niman]

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) today reported the first confirmed case of the Zika virus (Zika) in the county. The individual who contracted Zika is a male who had traveled to an affected area. The individual was tested in February, but results only arrived today. 

http://www.alleghenycounty.us/News/2016/6442452583.aspx

 

Edited March 29, 2016 by niman

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[niman]

Allegheny County reports first confirmed case of Zika

County’s health department says a resident — the 12th in the state — tested positive for the virus.

March 29, 2016 4:42 PM

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Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images

 

 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

An Allegheny County resident has tested positive for the Zika virus, the first local confirmation of the mosquito-borne disease as an outbreak rages abroad, the county health department said this afternoon.

At least 11 others in Pennsylvania have come down with Zika since the state Department of Health began issuing regular updates in January, according to state figures. All the cases appear related to the outbreak that began last May in Brazil and has spread through other South and Central American countries.

State health officials said the infected resident is a male who had traveled to an affected country.

“We want to remind residents that there is no current risk of contracting Zika in Allegheny County. For those traveling to countries affected by Zika, we urge caution. Pregnant women particularly should avoid travel to affected countries.” Karen Hacker, the county’s health department director, said in a release.

Most infected people show no symptoms, although pregnant women may face an elevated risk of complications. No Zika-infected mosquitoes have been reported in the United States.

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2016/03/29/Allegheny-County-reports-first-confirmed-case-of-Zika/stories/201603290153

 

County health officials are expected to release more details late this afternoon about the local case.

First Published March 29, 2016 4:05 PM

[niman]

First Allegheny County resident tests positive for Zika virus

UPDATED 5:14 PM EDT Mar 29, 2016

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PITTSBURGH —An Allegheny County man tested positive for the Zika virus, marking the county's first confirmed case, health officials said Tuesday.

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Implications to the public are "minimal," said Dr. Karen Hacker, director of the county Health Department.

VIDEO: Watch Kelly Brennan's report from outside the Allegheny Health Department

The patient, a man, was tested in February and is no longer ill, but the test results were not received until Tuesday, Hacker said.

The man had traveled to a country that was among the areas affected by the virus, Hacker said. He is one of 50 people who have been tested in Allegheny County.

More: CDC updates Zika advice for sex and pregnancy

More: Should U.S. hand out condoms to stop Zika?

Below is the county's official statement...

The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) today reported the first confirmed case of the Zika virus (Zika) in the county.

The individual who contracted Zika is a male who had traveled to an affected area. The individual was tested in February, but results only arrived today. A total of 50 residents have been approved for Zika testing to date. Today’s result has been the only confirmed case to date.

“We want to remind residents that there is no current risk of contracting Zika in Allegheny County. For those traveling to countries affected by Zika, we urge caution. Pregnant women particularly should avoid travel to affected countries.” said Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department.”

The Zika virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, which is common in warm climates. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week, although the majority of persons infected with the virus do not have any symptoms. Zika virus infection has been linked to fetal malformations. There is no vaccine to prevent, or medicine to treat, Zika virus infection.

While local mosquito transmission of Zika has not been documented in Allegheny County or Pennsylvania, residents are still urged to protect themselves from insect borne infections as the weather gets warmer. Insect repellant containing DEET should be used, and removing standing water from property can also help to alleviate mosquito breeding.

Ongoing updates on additional confirmed cases will be posted on the Health Department’s website. Additional resources, including links to the PA Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may also be found on the site. The page also contains information on the number of residents tested, and the number of confirmed cases of the virus.

Individuals who have traveled to affected areas who have not been tested, but want to know if they should be tested, should contact their primary physician, or may call the Allegheny County Health Department at 412-687-ACHD (2243).

http://www.wtae.com/news/allegheny-county-resident-tests-positive-for-zika-virus/38748930

[niman]

Zika virus confirmed in Allegheny County

 

BY THE TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 4:21 p.m.

 

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Updated 27 minutes ago

The Zika virus has been confirmed for the first time in Allegheny County, according to the county's Health Department.

Results arrived Tuesday showing a man who was tested in February has the virus, according to a Health Department news release.

“We want to remind residents that there is no current risk of contracting Zika in Allegheny County. For those traveling to countries affected by Zika, we urge caution. Pregnant women particularly should avoid travel to affected countries,” said Dr. Karen Hacker, the Health Department's director.

The mosquito-borne virus has been associated in South America with microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads, but most people who get it experience minor symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, according to a new release the Health Department. No vaccine for the virus exists.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends pregnant women who have traveled to areas where Zika is prevalent get tested. Fifty county residents have been approved for Zika testing, the release states.

State Department of Health data from Monday showed 11 Pennsylvanians had the virus, and 211 were awaiting results.

Mosquito transmission of the virus has not been reported in Allegheny County or Pennsylvania, but the county Health Department recommends residents protect themselves from infect-borne infections by using bug spray containing DEET and by eliminating standing pools of water where mosquitoes might breed.

http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/10223098-74/department-virus-county

 

[niman]

Allegheny County confirms first case of Zika virus

• By Kirstin Kennedy [email protected]
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• 30 min ago
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An Allegheny County resident tested positive for the Zika virus, marking the first confirmed case in the county.

The unidentified man contracted the virus while traveling in an affected area, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.

Lab results arrived at the department Tuesday. The man was tested for Zika in February and has since recovered from the virus, officials said.

Health officials said there is no current risk of contracting Zika in western Pennsylvania.

The primary mosquito that carries the disease is not found in Pennsylvania, experts say, but one type of mosquito that can potentially carry the disease has been reported in the state.

Zika virus, which has broken out in several South American countries, is transmitted to humans primarily through mosquito bites.

There is no vaccine or treatment for the infection, and officials believe it may be linked to microcephaly, a brain defect developed in fetuses.

Zika is generally a mild illness that lasts between two and seven days. Symptoms include fever, rash, muscle and joint pain, conjunctivitis and headache, and are treated with rest, fluids and medicine to relieve fevers, according to officials.

People who have traveled to affected areas who have not been tested, but want to know if they should be, are being instructed to contact their primary physician.

http://www.timesonline.com/news/local_news/allegheny-county-confirms-first-case-of-zika-virus/article_ad64b264-f5ef-11e5-95e7-9fdcc165f713.html

 

[niman]

Allegheny County Resident Tests Positive For Zika Virus

March 29, 2016 3:48 PM

Filed Under: Allegheny County, Dr. Karen Hacker, health department, World Health Organization, Zika

 

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An Allegheny County resident has tested positive for the Zika virus.

According to a release from the county, the tests were conducted in February and the results were received Tuesday. The person who tested positive is a male who had traveled to the affected area.

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Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of the Health Department, provided a briefing on the results and what this means for residents.

“We want to remind residents that there is no current risk of contracting Zika in Allegheny County. For those traveling to countries affected by Zika, we urge caution. Pregnant women particularly should avoid travel to affected countries.” said Hacker.

The virus is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedesspecies mosquito, which is common in warm climates. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. The sickness has been linked to fetal malformations.

In January, the World Health Organization declared Zika an international health emergency. 

WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of the virus in the Americas in the next year.

This is a developing story, stay with KDKA and KDKA.com for more information.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/03/29/allegheny-county-resident-tests-positive-for-zika/

 

[niman]

Video of news conference

 

http://www.wtae.com/news/news-conference-allegheny-county-confirms-first-zika-case/38750804

 

[niman]

Transcript

CONFIRMED THE NEWS. REPORTER: HEALTH DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS JUST TOLD US THAT AN ADULT MAN HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR ZIKA VIRUS A MAN WHO LIVES IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY, EXACTLY WHERE THEY WOULD NOT SPECIFY. THEY DID SAY THAT THIS MAN TRAVELED TO A ZIKA INFECTED COUNTRY, CAME BACK SHOWING HE WAS TESTED. IT HAS TAKEN SEVERAL WEEKS FOR THE TEST RESULTS TO COME BACK. TODAY THEY DID AND AGAIN HE IS THE FIRST CONFIRMED CASE IN VIRUS. WE ARE TOLD THAT THE MAN HAD TYPICAL SYMPTOMS WHEN HE WAS TESTED, INCLUDING RASH, FEVER, EYES. THERE IS STILL A LOT THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS BUT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS THAT IT STAYS IN YOUR BLOOD FOR A WEEK AND THAT'S WHEN THE CONCERN FOR TRANSMISSION VIA A MOSQUITO BITE IS THE HIGHEST. PREGNANT WOMEN. THIS MAN INFECTED HAS BEEN TOLD TO NOT TRY TO CONCEIVE FOR AT MONTHS. >> THIS IS VERY LOW RISK RIGHT NOW TO OUR COUNTY. I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO DO MORE THAN ANYTHING IS REALLY KEEP ABREAST OF WHAT IS GOING ON MAKE OF TRAVEL. THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR US RIGHT NOW PARTICULARLY FOR PREGNANT WOMEN AND GETTING THAT PEOPLE. REPORTER: A TOTAL OF 50 PEOPLE IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR ZIKA VIRUS. FIRST CONFIRMED CASE. OTHER CASES HAVE COME BACK NEGATIVE BUT THERE ARE STILL HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS WAITING ON FROM THE CDC. IT COULD STILL BE SEVERAL MORE WEEKS UNTIL WE KNOW ANY MORE

http://www.wtae.com/news/allegheny-county-resident-tests-positive-for-zika-virus/38748930

 

Edited March 30, 2016 by niman