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PUBLIC HEALTH 2 Zika cases confirmed in Jackson County Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 5:41 PM Updated Aug 2, 2016 at 5:46 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 5:41 PM Updated Aug 2, 2016 at 5:46 PM » Social News Two Jackson County cases of Zika have been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The separate cases, reported in February and July, mark 2016 as the first year Zika was reported in Jackson County, according to Health and Human Services. Jackson County Medical Director Dr. Jim Shames said both individuals infected by the virus were exposed while traveling outside the United States, but he declined to say which regions, citing patient privacy concerns. The first case was a woman, the second case a man, he said. Dr. Emilio DeBess, state public health veterinarian and epidemiologist, said that of the 16 cases reported in Oregon in 2016, 15 involved travel to Central America, South America and the Caribbean. "There's no one particular country," DeBess said. "People contract Zika from everywhere." The one exception involved exposure to the virus through sexual transmission, DeBess said. No cases came from casual contact or Oregon mosquitoes. “If you had somebody in Jackson County and they got it locally, we’d certainly be telling you about it,” DeBess said. “But that’s not the case.” Neither Jackson County case required patients to be quarantined, Shames said. "It's not like measles or TB (tuberculosis)," Shames said. "Quarantine would not be any use." DeBess advises infected individuals to stay home, take care of themselves and avoid contact with mosquitoes. Although mosquito species common in Oregon have yet to show evidence they transmit the disease, it's still unknown what mosquitoes are carrying what parts of the virus. "It is more of a precaution at this point," DeBess said. The disease itself is mild for most who encounter it. Symptoms may include rash, joint pains, nausea and vomiting. "Four out of five wouldn't even know they had Zika," DeBess said. A tiny percentage could experience serious symptoms from the virus, DeBess said. Zika has been tied to the birth defect microcephaly, as well as Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare sickness in which the immune system attacks nerve cells. None of the 16 confirmed Zika cases in Oregon have been in Josephine County, according to Josephine County Public Health Director Diane Hoover. In January, Hoover briefed Josephine County commissioners that the CDC was testing a local mother and child for the virus, but tests returned negative, and no cases have been confirmed since. "Josephine County has never had a confirmed case of Zika," Hoover said. The 16 cases of Zika statewide is a spike. In 2014 there were three cases in Oregon, and in 2015 only one case, DeBess said. Public health officials are still learning about the virus. In January, it wasn't yet confirmed that the disease could be transmitted sexually. Although sexual transmission is a less common way to contract the virus, Shames advises those who have traveled to areas containing Zika to use protection for a period of six months. "We're using an abundance of caution to prevent the spread of the disease in that fashion," Shames said. Researchers have found evidence that the virus can be spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants and other activities involving bodily fluids, DeBess said. Another recent discovery: Some individuals incubate the virus longer than others. "Some people clear the infection quickly," DeBess said. "A lot of it depends on the immune system," he said. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Aug. 2, 2016 at 5:41 PM Updated Aug 2, 2016 at 5:46 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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