Due to revisions in the Zika case definition, Cameron County health officials are reclassifying a travel-related case to the first probable Zika virus disease in the county.
Due to revisions in the Zika case definition, Cameron County health officials are reclassifying a travel-related case to a probable Zika virus disease, the first in Cameron County.
For all intents and purposes, the Cameron County Health Authority considers it a true case.
“We can’t say it definitely was because the rules at the time were different, but looking backwards – in my mind – means (the case) would’ve been Zika,” said Dr. James W. Castillo, the health authority.
In December, a 57-year-old woman from Brownsville traveled to Chiapas and was around people she said had Zika or Dengue Fever, and when she returned home in January, began to develop symptoms.
The 57-year-old told her health care provider and a blood test was ordered. The problem, Castillo says, is that the two diseases (Zika and Dengue Fever) are nearly impossible to tell apart just from observing the antibodies.
“It’s very rare that (a blood test) only comes back positive for Zika. When it comes back positive for both, under the old rules, it sounds more like Dengue Fever, because that’s more common,” Castillo said. “But Zika is spreading more, so under the new rules, it would probably be Zika, hence the probable case.”
Though there is very little risk of contracting the disease in South Texas, and there is nothing to suggest that the local mosquito population is carrying it, Castillo still advises caution when going outdoors.
That includes using mosquito repellant, wearing protective clothing outside, getting rid of standing water and other places the mosquitoes like to lay eggs, and using protection during sex especially if your partner has traveled to an area with Zika.
The department will continue to monitor the virus and update the public with any necessary updates.
For more on the story read Friday’s Valley Morning Star.
