VIRGINIA – Zika virus reaches Virginia

Health officials say a Virginia resident who recently traveled outside of the U.S. has tested positive for Zika. The virus is mosquito-transmitted and linked to a wave of birth defects in Brazil in which babies have abnormally small heads. Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine has stated that the infected resident does not pose a risk, for it is not mosquito season in Virginia. Currently, Zika outbreaks are prominent in the Caribbean and South America, the Center for Disease Control has recommended pregnant women avoid these regions.