First case of Zika virus reported in King County

The third case of the Zika virus found in Washington State was reported in King County Wednesday, according to the county’s public health department.

It is the first case of Zika reported in the county.

The illness was identified in a man in his 40s, according to the health department. The man recently traveled to Columbia.

The virus does not pose a risk to public health, according to the department. Zika primarily spreads through the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, or, less commonly, through sexual contact with a recently infected man. The types of mosquitoes that transmit Zika are not found in the Pacific Northwest so local health officials do not expect Zika virus to spread, according to the department.

While not a great risk to the general public, King County Health Officer Jeff Duchin says pregnant women or women who may become pregnant need to take precautions.

“We would like pregnant women to avoid travel to areas where Zika virus is occurring,” he said. “And we want pregnant women to understand that they can acquire Zika virus from sex with a man who has been to an area where Zika virus is occurring.”

Zika virus is linked to microcephaly, a birth defect in newborn babies.The department of health maintains a list of important things to know about

The department of health maintains a list of important things to know about Zika on its website.

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