JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — State health officials say an Alaska resident who recently traveled to Central America has tested positive for the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
But the state’s top medical officer, Jay Butler, is urging Alaskans to stay calm.
In a release, Butler says people cannot spread the virus through casual contact. He also says it is transmitted by mosquito species native to warmer climates that do not live in Alaska.
The state health department says prior cases of Zika were reported in Alaska in 2007 and 2016.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many people infected with the virus will have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, pregnant women can pass the virus to their fetus, and infection during pregnancy can cause birth defects.
