The Zika virus has spread to the 10th state in the U.S. as Massachusetts now has an infection of the mosquito-borne virus linked to birth defects.
State public health officials told multiple media outlets that it has identified a woman who recently returned to Massachusetts from one of the countries hit by the virus.
At least nine cases of Zika also have been identified in Virginia, California, New York, Minnesota, Hawaii, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois and Florida.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it expects “limited transmission” in the U.S. and isn’t predicting a large-scale epidemic.
Currently there is no treatment or vaccine for Zika, which can cause fevers and rashes in infected people.
Public health agencies are worried, though, about the potential for the virus to cause birth defects, most notably a condition called microcephaly that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.
The virus also could be linked to paralysis from a rare condition called Guillain-Barre.
The World Health Organization has estimated that up to 4 million people will come down with the virus as of next year. So far the virus is spreading in 20 countries and territories primarily in Central and South America.
The CDC already has a travel advisory to affected countries, warning pregnant women and women of child-bearing age to avoid such places.
