1st case of virus in Washington DC, USA

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February 23, 2016 3:58 PM

9 persons infected with Zika virus in Canada

According to the Washington State Department of Health the first Zika virus case has been discovered in Mason County, Washington DC.

The man who is said to be in his 20s traveled to the South Pacific.

Read: 9 persons infected with virus in Canada

Scott Lindquist, State epidemiologist for communicable disease for the department of health said that imported cases of Zika are expected because people travel daily to and from one place to the other.

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“Because many people travel to and from places where Zika is spreading, we’ve been expecting to have imported cases of Zika virus disease,” he said.

“While the Zika virus is of greatest risk to pregnant women, it is understandably concerning to many of us. The good news is this virus spreads through the bite of a type of mosquito we don’t have in Washington state, so it is very unlikely that this virus would spread widely here.”

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Meanwhile, According to Canadian minister for health, Jane Philpott, the country has recorded only 9 cases of Zika virus.

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