Zika virus link to rise in rare syndrome probed

A Cleveland woman has the first confirmed case of the Zika virus in Ohio.

(James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio's first reported case of Zika -- a rapidly spreading virus that is linked to severe birth defects -- has been reported in Cuyahoga County.

The Ohio Department of Health said a 30-year-old Cleveland woman who recently returned from Haiti contracted the virus, which is spread by mosquito bites and sexual contact.

Haiti is one of many Western Hemisphere countries where the virus is active.

"There is no vaccine available for Zika virus so it's important for Ohioans traveling to affected areas to take steps to prevent mosquito bites," Dr. Mary DiOrio, medical director of the Ohio Department of Health, said in a news release. "There have been no reported cases of Zika virus disease transmission through mosquito bites anywhere in the continental U.S."

Nationally, 35 cases of Zika virus have been reported in 12 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Ohio Department of Health is preparing for potentially more cases of the virus prior to this year's mosquito season, from May to October.

The majority of people infected with the Zika virus do not have any symptoms and hospitalization is uncommon, according to the health department. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), and headache.

Though severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon, according to the CDC, infection with the virus has been linked to microcephaly, or the development of unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns. Adults struck by the disease can develop paralysis and require a ventilator to breathe for up to two months.

Because the virus has been associated with birth defects, the CDC recommends pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant postpone travel to Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

The primary mosquito that transmits the Zika virus is found in the southern U.S. but not Ohio. However, another type of mosquito found in Ohio may possibly transmit the virus.