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NJ reports first case of Zika virus in six years. Here's what to know.
Gothamist • • health
Key Points:
- A Middlesex County resident in New Jersey has contracted Zika virus, marking the first mosquito-borne case in the state since 2020, according to health officials.
- The individual acquired the virus through travel, and the New Jersey Department of Health states the risk to the general public remains low.
- Zika virus usually causes mild symptoms but poses significant risks to pregnant people due to potential birth defects, as noted by the CDC.
- Nationally, Zika cases have declined significantly since major outbreaks in 2015-2016, with only six travel-associated cases reported in the U.S. so far this year.
- There are no approved vaccines or treatments for Zika, and while it is primarily spread by mosquitoes, transmission can also occur sexually or from mother to fetus.
