The Zika virus has reached the U.S. and there is plenty to be alarmed about.
The mosquito-borne illness can be especially dangerous for pregnant women. Here are 10 things to know about the Zika spreading in the U.S.:
- The first death that resulted from Zika virus in the U.S. was announced on July 11, when a person died after being infected outisde the U.S. This death occurred in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- There are no mosquito-borne cases that were acquired in the U.S.
- More than 1,600 cases came from patients who were infected abroad, and diagnosed in the U.S.
- There is one case in which using a laboratory to examine the virus contaminated one person.
- Of these 1,600+ cases, 15 were sexually transmitted and 5 have Guillain-Barre syndrome, which weakens muscles and the immune system.
- In US territories, there are 4,729 cases of Zika virus that were locally acquired.
- 21 cases came as the result of traveling.
- Of these 4,750 cases, 17 are Guillain-Barre.
- New York State has the most cases, with 449 ill and 27 deceased. Florida is second with 307 ill and 19 deceased.
- Of the US territories, nearly 5,000 came from or to Puerto Rico. The rest are spread out between American Samoa and the US Virgin Islands.
The illness has been spreading through Europe this summer. Many are also concerned about how the Rio Olympics will go, as some have made it a point to avoid going to Brazil at all to avoid the Zika virus.
