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Ohio's 1st Zika Virus Case Involves Woman Who Went To Haiti

CLEVELAND (WWJ/AP) - There have been no cases of the Zika Virus reported in Michigan — but the Ohio Department of Health has now confirmed a case in that state.

Health officials said Tuesday that the patient is a 30-year-old woman who returned to Cleveland after visiting Haiti and showed symptoms in late January.

Ohio's Department of Health says the case is among three dozen in 13 states and Washington, D.C.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Zika virus (pronunciation: zeeka) was found for the first time in the Americas in May 2015. Currently, a large outbreak is ongoing in the region including South and Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and U.S. citizens travelling to these regions are at risk for infection.

There's no vaccine for the virus, which primarily spreads through bites from a mosquito not typically found in Ohio. Officials plan a preparedness exercise before Ohio's mosquito season begins in May.

Many people infected don't get sick. Some experience mild illness with symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Officials are investigating whether there's a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads.

Officials wouldn't disclose whether the infected Cleveland woman was pregnant.

For more information on the Zika Virus from the MDHHS, visit this link.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report

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