CDC investigating 14 reports of sexually transmitted Zika virus in the U.S.

CDC investigates 14 US Zika virus reports.
(Image credit: iStock)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that it is investigating 14 new reports of the Zika virus in the U.S. in individuals that have not traveled to affected zones, suggesting that sexual transmission of the mosquito-borne virus is more common than previously thought. Several cases involve pregnant women, though the CDC stresses that only two cases have been confirmed. In those cases, the women's "only known risk factor was sexual contact" with a partner that had traveled to an affected area, the CDC says.

Previously, only a few cases of Zika virus being sexually transmitted had ever been documented.

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