Pennsylvania reported its first case of Zika virus infection by sexual transmission.
The Pennsylvania resident contracted the virus while traveling out-of-state in an area where Zika was prevalent, said Secretary of Health Karen Murphy. The resident then passed it via sexual transmission to their partner. Currently, mosquitoes have not transmitted Zika, a mosquito-borne virus, in Pennsylvania.
While Zika does not present a major threat to most people, it has serious implications for pregnant women. Zika has been linked to an array of brain defects in fetuses, including microcephaly.
Additionally, the infection can be transmitted sexually from individuals who never display symptoms of the virus and can be sexually transmitted from women to men.
As of Sept. 7, a total of 2,964 cases of Zika have been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC. Of these, 24 cases were sexually transmitted.