Advertisement Zika virus update; No confirmed cases in state Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Currently there are 25 people in the state who are being tested for the Zika virus due to their travel history, according to doctors.News of the virus, which has been mainly detected in Latin America and the Caribbean, has some concerned."Last week a co-worker was telling me, I don't know anything about this and I had no clue,"said Kerri Briceno, who's expecting her first child in May."I started to research it ... on the news and CNN and what not, and it's really kind of terrifying what's going on."She's been evaluating whether to travel to the Bahamas for a friend's wedding in March after hearing about the Zika virus.The Bahamas does not have any known cases, but she's on heightened alert."You don't take antibiotics for it, usually you recover on your own," Dr.Christopher Robinson, a maternal and fetal physician for Roper St. Francis, said. "That's the course with this virus, this would be very mild if you're not pregnant, there would really be no concern because most people are going to recover normally and have a very mild course."Women who are pregnant or soon to be should avoid areas where there are knowncases of the virus."Certainly the cases that have caught people's eye are is the specific birth defect that isseen in Latin American and South American countries where babies have beenborn with smaller heads than expected," Robinson said.Briceno says she will be discussing her travel plans with her doctor and will stay up to date on areas that are impacted with the virus. "I definitely want to do what's best for my baby," she said.Experts say 1-in-5 people won't feel any symptoms at all.Those symptoms can include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes."We've had some patients who were seen and some that are under consideration for testing and some that are having testing," Robinson said.People are tested first based on where they traveled and secondly based on symptoms.The best prevention is to take precautions to avoid getting a mosquito bite."In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil," a Centers for Disease Control statement read. "The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes."In response, the CDC has issued a travel alert for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.