The first travel related Zika case has been reported in Hawaii, according to the Hawaiian Department of Health. The Hawaiian resident who came down with the virus had recently traveled to the South Pacific.
That being said, there have not been any cases of the Zika virus that have been local to Hawaii, and health officials maintain that no mosquitos on the islands have transmitted the virus. However, they do suspect that the amount of travel related Zika transmissions will go up.
When the news broke about the case in Hawaii officials visited the home of the person to make sure that the virus would not spread any further.
Civil Defense Administrator Ed Teixeira released a statement about the finding.
“The County of Hawaii is working with the Department of Health to take proactive steps to assess affected areas for mosquito activity, educate communities, and treat mosquito breeding sites. This event is a reminder that we all need to remain vigilant and take steps to prevent mosquito bites especially when traveling to affected areas worldwide, and eliminate mosquitoes by emptying standing water where they can breed.”
