Dallas County Health and Human Services has reported and the CDC has confirmed that a patient in Texas was infected with Zika virus after having sexual intercourse with someone who returned from a country where Zika is present.
This is the first known infection to take place in the mainland U.S., according to BBC News.
"Now that we know Zika virus can be transmitted through sex, this increases our awareness campaign in educating the public about protecting themselves and others," said Zachary Thompson, the director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services. "Next to abstinence, condoms are the best prevention method against any sexually transmitted infections."
Zika virus is usually spread from mosquitoes to humans, but "spread of the virus through blood transfusion and sexual contact have been reported," according to the CDC. The DCHHS says there have been no reports of Zika virus being transmitted in the county via mosquitoes, but "imported cases make local spread by mosquitoes possible because the mosquitoes that can transmit the virus are found locally," according to a statement.
The World Health Organization declared Zika virus and its ties to birth defects an international public health emergency Monday.