CDC: Sexual Transmission of Zika Possible Even Without Symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has again updated guidance related to protecting the public from Zika virus, saying there’s evidence that a man infected with Zika can sexually transmit the virus to a female partner even if he has no symptoms. It cites the case of a woman who had unprotected sex with a man who’d recently returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, where mosquito-born Zika has been confirmed. The man admitted he had been exposed to mosquitos in an area where Zika had been reported, but he had no symptoms other than fatigue consistent with returning from a long trip. His female partner, who had not left the country, developed fever, rash, and other Zika symptoms, ultimately testing positive for Zika virus RNA in her urine. The take-home for urgent care clinicians is that any patient who has traveled to an area where Zika has been found should be considered a possible carrier. As such, prudence dictates advising concerned patients to use condoms or abstain from sex with people who could have been exposed until their Zika status can be determined.