Health officials report first Zika virus case in Sonoma County

A Sonoma County resident contracted the Zika virus after being bit by mosquitoes while on a recent trip to Central America, county health officials said Thursday, announcing the first confirmed Zika virus case in the county.

Officials said the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the virus have not been detected in Sonoma County and there is no risk of those mosquitoes spreading the virus locally.

“We do not have the mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus,” said Karen Holbrook, the county’s deputy health officer.

The virus can be spread through sexual contact and from a mother to her unborn baby. But Holbrook refused to say whether the Sonoma County resident was male or female or give any other information about the case, including the patient’s age, place of residence or the country where the virus was contracted, citing concerns for the resident’s privacy.

“I’m not releasing any of those pieces of information that on their own appear innocuous, but when you put them together can identify the individual,” Holbrook said.

“We have a case and we anticipate having more cases,” Holbrook said, adding that there are many local residents who travel to locations where the Zika virus is currently being transmitted through mosquitoes, including South and Central America and the Caribbean.

“Even though there’s no local transmissions, our residents could be exposed to Zika virus through travel, sexual contact with travelers and from mothers to their unborn babies,” she said.

Zika virus infection can lead to early pregnancy loss for an expectant mother and birth defects in newborns, including microcephaly, a condition marked by an abnormally small head and poorly developed brain. Also, rare neurological syndromes, including temporary paralysis, have been associated with Zika infection.

In adults, most Zika cases are mild, with common symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

Since February, county health officials have authorized Zika virus testing for 47 people. There have been 44 test samples submitted. One sample came back positive, 33 came back negative and the results for 10 samples are still pending, Holbrook said.

As of April 22, there were 35 positive cases of Zika infection in California. State health officials are expected to report new data today on the virus.

All of the confirmed cases involved travelers who returned from trips abroad, Holbrook said.

“There have been no local acquired cases in the state of California,” Holbrook said.

Napa County last month reported the North Bay’s first confirmed Zika case - a pregnant woman who had recently traveled to Central America.

Sonoma County health officials reiterated Thursday that the best way for North Bay residents to guard against the Zika virus is to be careful about travel.

Women “who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should consider postponing travel to areas where the Zika virus is active,” Holbrook’s department said in a written statement. “If travel is necessary, steps should be taken to avoid mosquitoes.”

The statement said that if “a pregnant woman’s male sexual partner has traveled to an area with active Zika spread, they should work together to abstain or use condoms correctly at all times throughout the pregnancy.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com.