First Case of Zika Virus in Massachusetts Confirmed

Mosquito photo by John Tann via Flickr/Creative Commons

State health officials have confirmed the first case of the Zika virus in Massachusetts.

The Zika virus is spread through a type of mosquito not typically found in Massachusetts, and cannot be transmitted from one infected person to another. Symptoms typically last one week and include fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis.

“We are aware of one case in Massachusetts, a person who had traveled to an area where we already know Zika is being transmitted,” Dr. Larry Madoff, director of the Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at the Department of Public Health, told State House News Service. Madoff added that the infected person is a man.

Madoff could not disclose to SHNS where in Massachusetts the man resides, as it would be a violation of privacy laws.

Until last year, the Zika virus had been confined to Africa and Asia, but it has since been discovered on Easter Island in South America.