First Case of Zika Virus Confirmed in Massachusetts

TEWKSBURY, MA - On the heels of a World Health Organization alert Thursday warning of up to 4 million Zika cases in the United States over the next year, Massachusetts confirmed its first case of the virus that threatens the unborn children of pregnant women.

State health officials say the infected resident is a man. He has not been identified and while his hometown is unknown, officials say he had recently traveled to an area where Zika is being transmitted in large numbers.

• Zika Virus In The United States: What You Need To Know

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus (in the same family as yellow fever, dengue and West Nile viruses), previously found largely in Africa and Southeast Asia.

The biggest risk of the virus is to pregnant women and their unborn children.

Several reports have linked Zika in mothers with Microcephaly in infants, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says, a potentially life-threatening birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected.

Infected people can expect fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes for a couple of days or up to a week, and hospitalization is rare, the CDC says.

In an alert issued earlier this week, the State Department of Public Health warned of dramatic increases in cases in the United States.

At least 14 countries or territories in the Americas, including Puerto Rico, have been identified as local transmission locations. You can view these locations here >>>

Patch will continue to bring you more information as it becomes available.