Arizona has no known or suspected cases of the Zika virus, said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
There have been no recorded “local transmissions” of the disease in the continental United States, she said.
Christ said travelers to countries where the virus is known to exist should take precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes and she echoed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control that pregnant women should consider postponing travel to them.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends against travel by pregnant women to Mexico, and some countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean where the virus is present. The virus can be transmitted by pregnant women to their unborn children.
“There have been reports of a serious birth defect of the brain called microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant,” the CDC warns.
Christ said all travelers should “make sure you avoid mosquito bites, which we know is difficult to do.”
“The vector that carries Zika (Aedes aegypti mosquito) is prevalent in Mexico” and is established in Arizona as well, Christ said.
There are 18 cases of Zika in Mexico, with 13 in the southern state of Chiapas, four in the northern state of Nuevo Leon and one in the western state of Jalisco, Pablo Kuri, deputy minister for prevention and health promotion, told Reuters.
Christ said the department is monitoring for Zika, as it does for other mosquito-borne diseases.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito is also a vector for dengue and chikungunya viruses, neither of which has been locally transmitted in Arizona, despite the presence of the disease in countries to the south.
“We’re always doing surveillance for those diseases.” said Christ.
More information is available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/zika online.
