Three new cases of travel-related Zika virus in Williamson County

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WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) The second, third and fourth cases of Zika virus have been confirmed in Williamson County.

The travel-related cases were confirmed this week through testing at the Department of State Health Services lab in Austin. The first case was confirmed by the county in May.

The three patients, one over the the age of 50, were infected with the virus during travel to Central America and the Caribbean.

The Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) is asking anyone with symptoms to see a healthcare provider if they visited an area where Zika is present or had sexual contact with someone who has traveled to an area where the virus is present.

GOING IN-DEPTH

• As of July 27, there are more than 6,400 confirmed cases of Zika virus in the U.S. and its territories. Thats 1,200 more compared to last week.
• More than 850 pregnant women have evidence of having Zika virus.
• Click here for a state-by-state table of Zika cases in the United States

Source: CDC

There are no reports of locally-transmitted Zika (mosquito to person) in Williamson County, or even this part of this United States.Four recently infected people in the Miami area one woman and three men are believed to have caught the virus locally through mosquito bites, officials announced Friday.

U.S. health officials said they do not expect a widespread outbreak of the sort seen in Brazil and other countries, according to the Associated Press.More than 1,650 people in the mainland U.S. have been infected with Zika in recent months, but the four people in Florida are believed to be first ones to contract the virus within the 50 states from mosquitoes.

WCCHD says these three new cases in Williamson Countyincrease the chance of local spread of the virus by area mosquitoes.

Residents, especially pregnant women, are asked to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Remember to use an EPA-approved insect repellent, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, use or repair screens on windows and doors, use air conditioning when available and remove standing water where mosquitoes can lay eggs, the department says.

The county says the three infected people are not related to each other.

What we know about the Zika virus

• Zika is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito (Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus).
• A pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to her fetus during pregnancy or during birth.
• Zika virus infection can cause microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, and is associated with other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• A person who is infected with Zika virus can pass it to s*x partners.
• Many people infected with Zika virus wont have symptoms or will only have mild symptoms.
• No vaccines or treatments are currently available to treat or prevent Zika infections.

For more information, visit www.wcchd.org or www.texaszika.org.

Source: http://kxan.com/2016/07/29/three-new-cases-of-travel-related-zika-virus-in-williamson-county/