County and state health officials on Wednesday reported what is likely the first locally acquired Zika case in the state of Texas this year.
The case was identified in a male resident of Hidalgo County who had not recently traveled outside of the U.S., leaving health officials to believe the virus was likely transmitted locally via a mosquito bite.
In April, the Texas Department of State Health Services recommended expanded Zika testing for pregnant women and individuals displaying symptoms of the virus in six counties in the southern portion of the state. Thousands of Zika tests have been conducted in Texas since the recommendation.
"The additional testing led to the identification of this infection, the first this year that appears to have been transmitted by a mosquito in Texas," said the Texas health department. "There is no evidence of ongoing Zika transmission in the state at this time, but public health officials are continuing to conduct human and mosquito surveillance to find any future Zika infections as early as possible."
Texas health officials identified six cases of locally acquired Zika among Brownsville residents in November and December of 2016.
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