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PUBLIC HEALTH Josephine County mom, infant tested for Zika Local officials say mosquitoes that transmit the virus don't live here Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 5:34 PM Updated Jan 29, 2016 at 6:29 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 5:34 PM Updated Jan 29, 2016 at 6:29 PM » Social News A woman and infant daughter in Josephine County are being tested for the Zika virus, officials in that county announced Thursday. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is conducting the tests and should have results within the next three weeks, said Josephine County Public Health Director Diane Hoover. "We're actively engaged in monitoring the health status of that child and her mother," Hoover told Josephine County commissioners during a department update. No other details, such as what symptoms the two experienced or whether they had traveled out of the country, were made available. Although the Zika virus has been making international headlines, public health officials say the only preventive measures locals need to take to avoid contracting the virus is when traveling to tropical areas. The species of mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus, which is tied to an increase in birth defects in Brazil, don't live in Jackson County. "We don't seem to have the mosquito species to carry it to any great abundance," said Dr. Jim Shames, medical director for Jackson County Health and Human Services. “We know of no transmission or possibility of transmission here in the Pacific Northwest from mosquitoes,” said Jonathan Modie of the Oregon Health Authority. According to the CDC, Aedes mosquitoes are believed to be transmitting the virus in areas such as Central and South America. The species is found only in portions of the United States with tropical climates, such as Hawaii and Florida. Shames said the prevalence of air conditioning, window screens, mosquito control and the U.S. public health infrastructure limits exposure in the country. According to Shames, confirming the Josephine County case with the CDC is weeks or months away. "It may take quite a while," Shames said. Modie said the OHA doesn't comment on suspected cases, only cases confirmed by the CDC. "We haven't received any cases of Zika confirmed in 2016," Modie said. Modie said there was a single Oregon case of Zika in 2014, and two confirmed cases in 2015. In all three cases, Modie said, the patients had reported recent travel to Polynesia. "We suspect that is where it was acquired," Modie said. The CDC issued an "enhanced" level health advisory concerning the virus Jan. 15, urging pregnant women or women who may become pregnant to avoid traveling to areas tied to the disease's spread, including Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Shames said there have been about 31 confirmed cases in the United States, and all have been from individuals who have traveled outside of the country. “The CDC has issued a travel advisory through these areas,” Modie said. “In particular for women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant to especially use caution.” Modie said research on the virus hasn't proven that it can be transferred from person to person, although the CDC has said one person may have caught it through a blood transfusion and another through sexual transmission. "There is no local transmission that we know of," Modie said. Shames emphasized that this is a tropical disease, and although global warming trends have brought tropical diseases to Southern Oregon before, the disease's potential impact in the area is far away. "I think we're fairly confident that from a public health perspective, this is not likely to be a public health problem for us soon," Shames said. The illness caused by the Zika virus is described by Modie as "fairly mild" for most people, but research has linked Zika to a birth defect known as microcephaly, characterized by a small head and incomplete brain development in newborns. Modie said people typically recover from the illness quickly, cases requiring hospitalization are rare, and deaths from the illness are very rare. "Only one in five who acquire Zika actually get sick," Modie said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. Eder Campuzano of the Grants Pass Daily Courier contributed to this story. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Jan. 29, 2016 at 5:34 PM Updated Jan 29, 2016 at 6:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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