US, July 9, 2016 – The first known Zika Virus-related death has been recorded in Utah, United States, where an elderly woman died of the virus, the Salt Lake County Health Department has announced.
The elderly woman, the Lake County Health Department said travelled to the area with an underlying health condition.
“While this individual did test positive for Zika virus, the exact cause of death has not been determined, and it may not be possible to determine how the Zika infection contributed to the death.
“Due to health privacy laws, health officials will not release further details about the individual or the individual’s travel history,” the Salt Lake County Health Department said in a statement.
The woman died late June.
“The exotic mosquito species [Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus] capable of transmitting Zika virus are not found along the Wasatch Front. In fact, so far this season, we have not detected those two species anywhere in Utah,” ,” said Dr. Ari Faraji, manager of the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District.
