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Indiana confirms first case of Zika virus in state

By Jill Sheridan | Published on in Uncategorized

Indiana health officials have reported the state’s first diagnosed case of Zika virus. The Indiana State Department of Health has identified that person only as a “non-pregnant resident” who recently traveled to Haiti. Officials say the person did not require hospitalization and has since made a full recovery.

World health officials are studying the link between Zika and a rare birth defect that can cause babies to be born with abnormally small heads. That’s why state health department veterinarian Jennifer Brown says the CDC is making recommendations for expecting mothers.

Brown says most people who get Zika virus won’t even know it. Eighty percent won’t develop any symptoms. For those that do, Brown says it’s a mild illness with fever, rash, and joint pain. The CDC has now reported 35 cases of Zika virus in the United States. None have been fatal and all of the cases are travel-related.