Jamaica has confirmed its first case of the Zika mosquito-borne virus, the country’s Ministry of Health announced.
The patient, who has now recovered, is a four-year-old child from Portmore.
The government said the child began showing symptoms on Jan. 17, “after earlier returning to Jamaica from travel to Texas in the United States.”
The child was investigated at the Bustamante Hospital for Children and received a positive test this week.
“There is adequate medication available in the public health system at this time to treat the symptoms of Zika virus infection in the event of additional cases being identified,” the government said.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus whose symptoms are similar to dengue fever.
The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, although symptoms are usually mild.
In fact, 80 percent of people who contract the virus exhibit no symptoms.
The biggest risk is for pregnant women, however, as it is increasingly thought that infection with zika during pregnancy can lead to birth defects like microcephaly.
Jamaica like the rest of the region has been dealing with the disease, and several islands have reported cases in small numbers.
