A Minnesota woman returning from Honduras has tested positive for the Zika virus, an infection that has sent waves of anxiety through much of Latin America in recent weeks.
State health officials said Wednesday there is no threat to other Minnesotans. The Anoka County woman, who is in her 60s, was not hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery.
This is the first confirmed Zika infection in Minnesota this year. The state's only other recorded case occurred in 2014, when the virus was detected in a man who had traveled to French Polynesia.
The mosquito-borne infection is occasionally found in travelers returning home from areas known to be affected, but it has yet to be transmitted from patient to patient within the continental United States. Health officials said that the mosquito species that carries the virus is not currently found in Minnesota.
There is no treatment or vaccine for Zika. Most who get infected will not show symptoms, which can include fever, joint soreness, rash or red eyes. In rare cases, the virus can cause microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, in infants.
Pregnant women are urged by federal health officials to avoid travel to Zika-affected areas. Historically, the virus has been present in parts of Asia and Africa. Since May 2015, the virus has taken hold in Central and South America, including popular winter destinations for Minnesotans.
