Public health officials investigating Zika case in Utah

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Utah health officials are investigating a case of Zika virus in a family contact who cared for an individual who died in late June from unknown causes. The decedent had been infected with Zika after traveling to an area with the virus and had a uniquely high amount of Zika virus in the blood. The investigation is focused on how the contact, who has fully recovered, became infected, as the person had not recently traveled to an area with Zika or had sex with someone who did or was infected. There also is no evidence that the aedes mosquitoes that commonly spread Zika virus are in Utah, officials said. “Based on what we know so far about this case, there is no evidence that there is any risk of Zika virus transmission among the general public in Utah,” said Angela Dunn, M.D., deputy state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. Although there are no reports of transmission of Zika virus from infected patients to health care personnel or other patients, the CDC recommends using Standard Precautions in labor and delivery and other health care settings to protect personnel and patients from Zika virus infection. AHA staff are working with the CDC and will continue to keep the hospital field up to date on guidance and developments. For more information on Zika and guidance for health care providers, visit www.cdc.gov/zika and www.aha.org/zika.