The CDC has updated its guidance on the transmission of the Zika virus, cautioning pregnant women with male sexual partners who have travelled to places where Zika has been confirmed to either avoid sex or to use condoms. Until Tuesday, February 2, when a Zika case in Dallas was identified as having been sexually transmitted, clinical guidance merely advised people to avoid travel to areas with suspected Zika outbreaks, which was thought to be due solely to certain strains of mosquitos. And on Friday, health officials in Brazil, where the outbreak is widespread, announced that active Zika virus has been identified in the saliva and urine of patients. However, it is unclear if those fluids are a source of transmission. Massachusetts announced its first case of the Zika virus on Thursday, January 28. The patient was male and had traveled to one of the areas where Zika transmission is occurring. The state’s Zika information page, with a link to the CDC Zika page, is
here.