TUSCALOOSA, AL- A spokesman for the University of Alabama says a student has tested positive for the Zika virus. The University of Alabama released this statement:
“We were notified Friday that a student who recently studied abroad had tested positive for the Zika virus. Federal privacy laws prevent us from commenting on the student’s condition; however, in the majority of Zika cases, individuals make a full recovery within a week.
Students who recently returned or are currently on a study abroad program in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America or South America were contacted Friday and alerted to the confirmed case. We recommended, as precaution, these students visit the Student Health Center or their healthcare provider to be tested if they are experiencing symptoms. Students are also being directed to CDC and WHO websites for other precautions if exposure to the Zika virus is possible.
According to the CDC most people infected with Zika virus won’t know they have the disease as they won’t have symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache.
The illness, according to the CDC, is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. For more information, see http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html/.”
To date all cases have been related to travel to affected areas.
