EVERETT — A fourth case of the Zika virus has been confirmed in Snohomish County, one of 23 such cases statewide.
A woman in her 40s tested positive for the virus after traveling to the Dominican Republic.
She went to an emergency room after returning from her trip but was not hospitalized, said Heather Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish Health District.
Many people infected with Zika virus have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, which may include fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, and headache, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus is spread by bites from the Aedes mosquito. The only confirmed area in the United States where Zika has been spread via the mosquito is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida.
The mosquito species that can spread the virus isn’t currently found in Washington. However, people who travel to and from areas where Zika is spreading can return with the illness. Areas where the virus is now common include the Caribbean, Central America, the Pacific Islands and South America.
Zika also can spread through sex, even if the infected person doesn’t have any symptoms, health officials say.
The main concern with Zika is with women who are pregnant, because the virus has been associated with causing severe brain defects.
The local woman who traveled to the Dominican Republic, Snohomish County’s most recent Zika case, is not pregnant, Thomas said.
Health officials advise women who may have been exposed to the Zika virus to wait at least eight weeks before attempting to conceive. Men who have been exposed through travel or have tested positive for Zika are encouraged to either abstain from sexual contact or use condoms for up to six months after testing positive.
The other three cases of Zika virus in Snohomish County were among people who traveled to the Caribbean, Nicaragua and Ecuador.
In Washington, King County has the greatest number of confirmed Zika cases, seven, followed by the four in Snohomish County.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
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