The state Department of Public Health confirms one Morgan County resident has the first travel-related case of the Zika virus in Alabama.

This 2003 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes albopictus mosquito acquiring a blood meal from a human host. On Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, U.S. health officials are telling pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin America and Caribbean countries with outbreaks of a tropical illness linked to birth defects. The Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites from Aedes aegypti and the CDC is investigating whether it is also spread by Aedes albopictus.

The agency said tests are underway with Alabamians who have a travel history to areas where the outbreak is ongoing.

The person who tested positive for the Zika virus has not been publicly identified.

"The person is fine," said Dr. Jim McVay, a spokesman for the ADPH, who declined to release any information about the patient.

Another person who traveled to a Latin American country tested negative, McVay said, and health officials are awaiting results on tests performed on four other people.

"We knew it was only a matter of time before we would have the first positive case of an individual in Alabama with Zika virus," Acting State Health Officer Dr. Tom Miller said. "Given the frequency of international travel to affected areas, we anticipate having additional positive cases. We are working with the medical community to identify high-risk individuals."

Common symptoms of the virus include fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, usually appearing within 3-7 days of infection. There's no vaccine to prevent the virus or a medication to treat it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ADPH said Zika is transmitted through the bites of Aedes mosquitoes, which are the same species that spread the dengue and chikungunya viruses. The virus may also be passed through sexual contact or blood transfusion.

Last week, the Dallas County (Texas) Health and Human Services Department confirmed the first case of someone being infected with Zika through sexual contact.

Although it is rare for the virus to be spread from mother to infant around the time of birth, ADPH said it is possible Zika can be transmitted from the mother to her baby during pregnancy. In most cases, the virus does not require hospitalization, but has been linked to birth defects.

"We are focusing on pregnant women and women in the reproductive age range who may become pregnant," Miller said.

Pregnant women who have traveled to an area where Zika is present should be evaluated by a physician.

The specific CDC recommendations include the following:



* Pregnant women should not travel to Zika-affected areas.

* Men who have traveled to Zika-affected areas and have pregnant partners should abstain from sex or consistently and correctly use condoms for the duration of the pregnancy for all forms of sexual activity.

* Men who have traveled to Zika-affected areas and have non-pregnant partners should consider abstaining from sexual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms.

ADPH advises the public to be aware of the risks posed by the Zika virus and to take steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites, including the following:

* Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

* Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 as directed.

* Stay and sleep in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms.

For updates on the Zika virus in Alabama, visit adph.org and search Zika.

The public should check with the CDC for updated travel notices.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.