Birth defect virus confirmed in NY

State health officials say the three New Yorkers, including an Orange County resident who had recently traveled outside the country, have tested positive for the mosquito-born Zika virus. Officials

News 12 Staff

Jan 26, 2016, 6:46 PM

Updated 3,200 days ago

Share:

State health officials say the three New Yorkers, including an Orange County resident who had recently traveled outside the country, have tested positive for the mosquito-born Zika virus.
Officials wouldn't say where the people had recently traveled, describing the locations as areas where the "virus transmission is ongoing."
Experts say extreme signs of the Zika virus include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The virus has been linked with microcephaly, which can leave affected newborns with unusually small heads and abnormal brain development.
Officials say one of the patients is fully recovered, and the two others are recovering without complications.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its warning for pregnant women thinking of visiting 22 foreign destinations, local health experts say there's no exposure here at home. "We don't have that type of transmission here at this point, and you're not going to get it person to person," says Orange County health Commissioner Eli Avila.