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There is no
vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of
diseases such as dengue and chikungunya, and causes mild fever,
rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of those infected
have no symptoms.
The unidentified researcher at the University of Pittsburgh
pricked herself on May 23 and showed symptoms on June 1,
returning to work five days later when she no longer had a
fever, ABC News said, citing a statement from the school.
School officials were not immediately available for comment.
The incident was the fourth confirmed case of the Zika virus in
Allegheny County, its health department said, without giving
details of the accident.
"Despite this rare incident, there is still no current risk of
contracting Zika from mosquitos in Allegheny County," department
director Karen Hacker said in a statement.
U.S. health officials have concluded that Zika infections in
pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by
small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems
in babies.
The World Health Organization has said there is strong
scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a
rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in
adults.
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light
last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,400
cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika
infections in the mothers.
To reduce the chance of virus transmission, the Pittsburgh
researcher is using insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites,
besides wearing garments with long sleeves and trousers, ABC
News added.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Clarence
Fernandez)
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