SELLERSBURG — A Sellersburg man who recently traveled to Mexico has tested positive for the Zika virus.
Clark County Health Department Officer Dr. Kevin Burke said officials believe the man contracted the virus while in Mexico and not through a mosquito bite locally.
Burke declined to identify the man, but did indicate he is recovering.
"I believe he's either well or about well," Burke said.
The health department is collecting and testing mosquitos in the Sellersburg area.
"We'll have a better idea next week whether the particular mosquito that carries Zika is in Southern Indiana," Burke said.
The town of Sellersburg has been notified to initiate its mosquito control program, which involves pesticide applications during the evenings.
It is important to remember that the risk of Zika virus transmission is low in Indiana, according to the Indiana State Department of Health, but the increased treatment of Sellersburg is being done as a precaution," a news release stated.
There are 27 confirmed cases of Zika in Indiana, according to the state health department. There are 22 documented cases of travel-related Zika, according to a Clark County Health Department news release.
The United States has about 480 confirmed cases.
Clark County residents should take precautions against mosquito bites by using repellants and wearing protective clothing. Homeowners should eliminate common breeding sites such as clogged gutters, failing septic tanks and any other areas that can collect water.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zika is spread primarily through mosquito bites. If a certain species of mosquito bites someone infected with Zika, then that mosquito can spread the virus to other people.
Zika is also spread from mother to child in utero, through sex and from a blood transfusion, though the latter has not occurred in the United States.
Many people who are infected will experience no symptoms or mild symptoms that last several days to one week.
In a small number of cases, the virus can cause an illness of the nervous system called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
The most severe effect of the Zika virus is serious birth defects such as microcephaly, or smaller than normal head and possibly brain. Therefore, women who are pregnant or expecting to become pregnant have been advised not to travel abroad.