South Carolina public health officials on Friday confirmed the first case of Zika virus in the state.
The infection was confirmed in a resident who'd recently traveled to a country with active transmission of the virus, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control.
“We had expected to see a case appear in South Carolina eventually as more people vacation to countries where the Zika virus is actively spreading,” said Dr. Teresa Foo, DHEC medical consultant. “As our state’s public health agency, we actively monitor for the arrival of new diseases in South Carolina in an effort to help stop the spread of the illness.”
The infected person, who'd had symptoms while out of the country, was well and not contagious by the time they returned to the U.S., officials said. So there is currently no risk to public health and no risk of transmission to people or mosquitoes in the state.
No further information about the patient was released because of privacy concerns.