Rockland Has Its First Case Of Zika Virus

A lower Hudson Valley county has its first case of Zika virus, and the county is preparing for additional cases. Rockland officials Friday confirmed the county’s first case of Zika virus in a local woman. The patient recently traveled to a South American country where Zika virus transmission has been documented. The virus primarily is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The infection is associated with severe birth defects. At the end of January, Orange County health officials announced that a resident there who had traveled to South America tested positive for the Zika virus. Governor Andrew Cuomo Thursday directed the state Department of Health to expand free Zika virus testing to all pregnant women who have traveled to areas where the infection is ongoing, regardless of whether they exhibit symptoms.