First case of Zika virus in SA confirmed
JOBURG - A Colombian businessman who was visiting South Africa has been diagnosed with Zika virus.
This according to Health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi.
Quoted by News24, Motsoaledi said, “The confirmation of this particular case poses no risk to the South African population as the virus is not transmitted from human to human but through the Aedes aegypti mosquito and or possibly from mother to the foetus in pregnant women.”
A case of Zika virus being sexually transmitted was recently reported in the US however the South African Health Department insisted that this was considered extremely rare.
The businessman reportedly contracted the virus in Colombia prior to his visit to South Africa.
The health department said the virus is present in the blood of a patient for typically no more than seven days.
According to the Centre for Disease Control, one in five people infected by Zika virus actually become ill.
The most common symptoms of Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (pink eye). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.
The CDC said people usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.
