Pregnant Australian woman tests positive for Zika virus
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 09:39 AM EST | Updated: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 09:59 AM EST
File photo. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
SYDNEY, Australia -- A pregnant woman in Australia has tested positive for the Zika virus after travelling overseas, health officials said Wednesday.
The woman was diagnosed in Queensland state after returning from a trip abroad, the Queensland Department of Health said in a statement. The department declined to provide additional details, such as which country the woman had visited, saying only it was not a locally acquired case of the virus.
Last week, another woman in Queensland was diagnosed with Zika after returning from a trip to El Salvador.
Experts say the risk of Zika spreading across Australia is extremely low. The type of mosquito that carries the virus only lives in the far northeast corner of the country, which is sparsely populated.
The Zika virus has spread quickly through Latin America. Most people who contract it have either mild or no symptoms, but it is suspected of causing a birth defect that results in babies born with abnormally small heads.
