Canada Health Agency Registers First Sexually Transmitted Zika Virus Case

The first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in a Canadian resident has been recorded in Ontario, Canada’s Public Health Agency (PHAC) said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On February 2, US health services confirmed the first ever sexually-transmitted Zika virus case in the world in the US state of Texas.

"The individual from Ontario is suspected to have contracted the virus from a sexual partner who was diagnosed with Zika virus after travelling to an affected country," PHAC and the Ontario Health Ministry said Monday in a joint statement, as quoted by the CBC broadcaster.

No further details of the case were disclosed due to privacy requirements.

The Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes active in daytime. It does not cause serious complications in adults, but is suspected of leading to severe brain defects and microcephaly cases in newborns.

The recent Zika outbreak originated in Brazil and has spread throughout Latin America. Cases of Zika virus infections have been registered in 27 states across the globe, including in the Americas, the South Pacific as well as in some European countries.