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Yuma reports first travel-related Zika case

Posted at 11:28 AM, Aug 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-05 14:29:06-04

Health officials have confirmed the first case of Zika in the southwestern Arizona city of Yuma.

The Yuma Sun reports that a new release from Yuma County Public Health Services says the person contracted the virus after traveling outside the country to an area where the disease is circulating.

Zika is usually mild but can lead to severe brain-related birth defects if women are infected during pregnancy. The disease has swept through Latin America and the Caribbean in recent months.

Health Services District Director Diana Gomez says there is low risk of Zika spreading in Yuma County. She says the individual started showing symptoms before returning, has been doing well and followed all precautions.

According to the news release, this is the 14th case of travel-related Zika in Arizona.