First case of Zika virus in Ontario confirmed

By News Staff

The first case of Zika virus in Ontario has been confirmed.

Dr. David Williams, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, confirmed on Friday that an individual who had travelled to Colombia and back to Ontario has contracted the mosquito-borne disease. He added the patient is not pregnant.

Williams says the risk to Ontarians remains “very low” as the mosquitoes which spread the virus are not well-suited to our climate. He adds anyone who traveled to countries affected by Zika virus and are concerned they might have contracted the disease should speak with their doctor to see if they need to be tested.

Most people who contract the infection have no symptoms, but some experience fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes.

Zika testing is currently being performed by Public Health Ontario and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

There is currently no vaccine or medication that protects against Zika virus infection.

The news comes just as Brock University’s insect scientists received a shipment of the virus. They are testing whether mosquitoes native to Canada can become infected with the virus. Brock is the only university in Canada with a lab specific for safe insect testing.

There has been an explosion of Zika infections in South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean since the first cases began showing up in Brazil last May.

A small number of cases have previously been reported in Canada – in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec – in travellers who have returned home infected.

However, the virus has been potentially linked in Brazil to more than 4,400 cases of abnormally small heads in infants born to women who may have been infected while pregnant, as well as cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological condition that can cause muscle weakness or even partial paralysis.

With files from The Canadian Press

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