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Published On: Thu, May 30th, 2013

Alberta woman contracts Zika virus while in Thailand, first confirmed infection in Canada

An Alberta woman has been diagnosed with a rare viral disease  after returning from a trip to Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand, in fact, the 45-year-old woman is the first such case diagnosed in Canada, according to a CTV News report Wednesday.

Public domain photo/John Fowler via Wikimedia Commons

Public domain photo/John Fowler via Wikimedia Commons

It is reported she sustained numerous bug bites during a trip to southern Thailand this past January, she became ill after returning to Canada but recovered after about 2 1/2 weeks.

She tested positive for Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus related to yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses; however, ZIKV produces a comparatively mild disease in humans. It was first isolated from an infected rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.

Its relatively rare to see ZIKV outside of Africa and Asia.

The virus is transmitted to humans via mosquitoes of the genus Aedes.

Information regarding pathogenesis of ZIKV is scarce but mosquito-borne flaviviruses are thought to replicate initially in dendritic cells near the site of inoculation then spread to lymph nodes and the bloodstream.

Symptoms may include a headache, a maculopapular rash covering the face, neck, trunk, and upper arms,which may spread to the palms and soles. Transient fever, malaise, and back pain may also develop.

ZIKV can be diagnosed by PCR tests, which detect viral RNA, and an ELISA has been developed at the Arboviral Diagnostic and Reference Laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Ft. Collins, CO, USA) to detect immunoglobulin (Ig) M to ZIKV.

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About the Author

- Writer, Co-Founder and Executive Editor of The Global Dispatch. Robert has been covering news in the areas of health, world news and politics for a variety of online news sources. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the website, Outbreak News Today and hosts the podcast, Outbreak News Interviews on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify Robert is politically Independent and a born again Christian Follow @bactiman63

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  1. Germany: Traveler to Thailand contracts Zika virus - The Global Dispatch says:

    […] Jan. 2013, a Canadian traveler to Thailand returned home to Alberta ill and tested positive for ZIKV. This was the first such case in Canada. This was reported in […]

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