A blood samples from pregnant women are analyzed for the presence of the Zika virus, at Guatemalan Social Security maternity hospital in Guatemala City, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016. The first case of Zika was confirmed in Utah on Tuesday. (Associated Press)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah health department says a child has been confirmed to be the state's first Zika virus case.
The Utah Department of Health said Tuesday that the child between the ages of 2 and 10 years old recently traveled to a county where the virus has spread.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the child tested positive for the virus, which is primarily spread through bites from a specific mosquito not found in Utah.
Many people infected with the Zika virus do not get sick, although health officials are investigating whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect called microcephaly.
The Utah child has had symptoms, including a rash, but no health complications.