Everyone is scared of Zika. But people believe that if you do not visit countries infected with Zika, and also do not have sex with patients, you are safe. However, one man in Utah mysteriously got Zika even though his state did not host infected mosquitoes, nor did he have sex with a patient that he was helping.
It has been identified that the 1,300 Zika cases in the US were contracted due to foreign travel. Earlier, it was known that the virus can sustain itself in urine, blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid. Yet, there was no report of the virus spreading through any of these media.
"We have found no evidence that mosquitoes here in Utah are transmitting the Zika virus," said Dr. Angela Dunn, the deputy state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. The case does not threaten the public, she says.
As of now, the Utah man has come back to normal. However, the reason for his contracting the illness has still not been revealed. He looked after an older man from Salt Lake County, who had been afflicted with Zika due to travel. While he was affected by a number of other illnesses, it was not clear if the virus led to his death.
"We don't have any evidence that suggests Zika can be passed from one person to another by sneezing or coughing or kissing or sharing utensils," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said.
The CDC is probing the point and is undertaking tests for anyone who contacted the Utah man. Still, the results are awaited.
Meanwhile, even reading or hearing about it does not transmit the disease----not yet, anyway. So do not fear too much!
