US Virgin Islands reports its first Zika virus case

A graduate student works on analyzing samples to identify the Zika virus in a laboratory at the Fiocruz institute in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Jan. 22, 2016. Health officials say they’re trying to determine if an unusual jump in cases of a rare nerve condition sometimes severe enough to cause paralysis is related to the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in at least two Latin American countries. AP

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, US Virgin Islands — The US Virgin Islands is reporting its first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Authorities said Friday that the patient is a 42-year-old woman who lives on the island of St. Croix and has not traveled recently.

The US territory’s Health Department has been distributing free mosquito bite prevention kits.

READ: Brazil trying to develop vaccine against Zika virus

Brazilian officials have linked the tropical illness to birth defects. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that pregnant women should avoid traveling to 14 countries and territories in the Americas where the virus has been detected. Puerto Rico and Haiti have already reported Zika cases.

Zika symptoms are generally milder than those of dengue and chikungunya and can include a slight fever, headache and pain in the hands and feet.

READ: Ecuador hit with first Zika virus cases