The Delaware Division of Public Health has reported a fifth case of Zika in the state. This comes on the heels of Friday’s announcement of a fourth Delaware resident contracting the virus.
This new case is an unnamed man from New Castle County who was bitten by a mosquito while traveling abroad in May.
The state’s other four cases of Zika were also acquired by mosquito bites while traveling abroad. These two new cases are unrelated and originated in different countries, according to DPH.
None of the Delaware residents with Zika are considered infectious, even if a mosquito bites them and then bites someone else. The virus leaves the blood after about a week and all current Delaware cases are at least two weeks old.
There have been no confirmed cases of transmission by a mosquito bite anywhere in the continental U.S.
The Zika virus is non life-threatening and causes a mild illness but it has been linked to birth defects when contracted by a pregnant woman.
None of the Delaware residents who have contracted the disease were pregnant.
