A pregnant Victorian woman has been diagnosed with Zika virus after returning from overseas.
Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy confirmed the case to reporters on Friday.
Victoria’s acting Chief Health Officer Roscoe Taylor said the virus required ongoing monitoring during pregnancy.
He said pregnant women who have travelled to countries with Zika virus and had symptoms should see a general practitioner.
Dr Roscoe said the virus was transmitted by mosquitoes but could also be sexually transmitted. However, he stressed there was a very low risk of transmission of the virus in Victoria.
The Victorian case comes after a pregnant woman in Queensland tested positive to the virus this year.
Authorities have declined to reveal specific details about the Victorian woman’s condition or where she travelled to protect her privacy. However, the virus was detected after she presented with symptoms.
Ms Hennessy said the woman was receiving support from the Health Department.
“My primary concern today is not about a public health risk but about a woman who is dealing with the anxiety of receiving news that is incredibly concerning,” she said.
Dr Roscoe said Victoria did not have the particular species of mosquito that carries Zika virus although it did exist in northern Queensland.
He said it was possible sexual transmission can occur from an actively infected person for up to two months after acquiring the infection.
Dr Roscoe confirmed there had been four cases of Zika virus in Victoria over the past three years. However, he expected an increase in awareness of the virus could result in more people seeking tests than there had been in the past.
Dr Roscoe said awareness of Zika had risen because of its association with Microcephaly – a condition that can result in babies being born with small heads. But he said not enough was known about the risks of Microcephaly to unborn infants whose mothers had been infected by the virus.
Health professionals have been told to advise pregnant women or women wanting to get pregnant to consider postponing travel to any country with active Zika virus transmission.
Several Australian Federal Police officers have also contracted the mosquito-borne virus while they were deployed in the Solomon Islands.
The World Health Organisation has declared the virus an international public health emergency, with the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.
Earlier in February, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said an international co-ordinated response was needed, although restrictions on travel or trade were not necessary.
There are often no symptoms for the virus but in about 20 per cent of cases can include fever, rash, headaches and muscle pain. The virus was first detected in Uganda in 1947.
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Microcephaly on HealthPages.wiki
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