A Wisconsin resident has a confirmed case of the Zika virus after traveling to Honduras.
The state Department of Health Services announced the case Wednesday, saying it’s the first case of the Zika virus in Wisconsin. There haven’t been any locally-acquired cases of the virus in Wisconsin or the rest of the continental U.S.
State Health Officer Karen McKeown said in a news release that Wisconsin is one of the last states to have a confirmed case of the virus. There have been more than 500 cases detected in the continental U.S., all linked to overseas travel.
State officials say, so far, they have tested more than 300 people who have traveled to countries where the Zika virus is present.
Zika is mainly a threat to unborn children and can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly and other severe birth defects. It has also been linked to a type of paralysis in adults.
