US Zika virus patient infected by ‘sexual contact’

A patient in the US is suffering from a rare case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, rather than a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US, international media report.

Accordng to reports, the patient, infected in Dallas, Texas, is likely to have been infected by sexual contact, although they had not travelled to infected areas themselves. Their partner had, however returned from Venezuela.

Zika, is currently spreading through South America, with the World Health Organization (WHO), declaring the disease which results from the virus a “global health emergency”.

The virus is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains (microcephaly)

The American Red Cross has meanwhile urged prospective blood donors returning from Zika-hit countries to wait at least 28 days before donating their blood, the BBC reports. It adds that "self-deferral" should apply to people returning from Mexico, the Caribbean or Central or South America during the past four weeks.

Texas has seen seven ZIka cases, besides the sexually transmitted one, where the illness was related to travel.

According to reports, Brazil, the worst hit country has revealed it is investigating 3,670 suspected cases of microcephaly in babies linked to the Zika virus, and a total of 404 cases have so far been confirmed. The number has increased from 270 last week , and another 709 cases have been discarded, the country's health ministry said.

Meanwhile, two cases of the virus have been confirmed in Australia, after two Sydney residents returned from the Caribbean. According to the BBC, another two cases were found in Ireland, but the man and older woman, who have recovered, were also known to have travelled to the areas recently.

The BBC reports that a statement issued by the CDC after the discovery of the latest transmission, said the best way to avoid Zika virus infection was "to prevent mosquito bites and to avoid exposure to semen from someone who has been exposed to Zika".

WHO director general, Margaret Chan said the priorities were to protect pregnant women and their babies from harm and to control the mosquitoes that are spreading the virus.

WHO has said it could take up to nine months for experts to prove or disprove any connection between the virus and babies born with microcephaly.