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Bexar County Pregnant Woman Caught Zika In Brownsville

Wendy Rigby
/
Texas Public Radio
Texas has documented more than 300 cases of Zika infection so far. All but a handful of the people were infected while traveling in other countries.

A Bexar County woman is the first pregnant woman in Texas who acquired the Zika virus without traveling outside the state.

The Texas Department of State Health Services says the expectant mother traveled to Brownsville in November.

That’s right around the time six Brownsville residents were diagnosed with Zika from local mosquitoes.

The woman did not get sick, but 80 percent of people with Zika show no symptoms. Her infection was detected during a prenatal visit. Zika has been linked to birth defects like microcephaly.

There’s no increased risk of Zika in Bexar County, since the woman picked up the virus elsewhere.

As of this week, one Texas Zika case has been reported for 2017. 300 cases were reported for 2015 and 2016. All but a handful were cases acquired from travel to places outside the country.

Wendy Rigby is a San Antonio native who has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. She spent two decades at KENS-TV covering health and medical news. Now, she brings her considerable background, experience and passion to Texas Public Radio.