The state Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that a fourth Connecticut patient, a non-pregnant woman in her 30s, has tested positive for the Zika virus. The patient travelled from the Caribbean to Connecticut on April 25th and became ill on April 29th. Her symptoms included fever, rash and conjunctivitis. The patient and her physician have been informed of the test result.
The State Laboratory confirmed the patient’s test result using PCR testing. This level of testing is used for patients who are actively experiencing symptoms of the virus. The State Laboratory was approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March for PCR testing, after Governor Malloy directed DPH to develop and begin testing for Zika. Prior to this approval, specimens were sent to the CDC for testing, resulting in long wait times for results.
To date, 426 cases of travel-related Zika have been reported in the continental United States. Of those, 36 were pregnant women and eight were sexually transmitted. In Connecticut, 245 patients, including 217 pregnant women, have been tested for Zika virus.