A woman in the UK has made a full recovery after she became infected with Zika virus transmitted through sex, health officials said.
Public Health England (PHE) said that one case of “likely sexual transmission” of Zika virus infection had been reported here in the UK.
It is believed the woman contracted Zika after having sex with her boyfriend, who had returned from an affected country.
PHE revealed that of the 265 travel-associated cases reported in Britain, seven have been diagnosed in pregnant women.
They said the one UK case where the virus had been spread through sexual intercourse was “not unexpected”.
In September, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised people returning from Zika-hit regions to practice safe sex or abstain completely for half a year.
The advice came after scientists discovered that the virus could live longer than previously thought in a person’s blood or bodily fluids.
The current epidemic began in Brazil last year, PA reported. It has since spread to the Caribbean, other parts of Central and South America, Oceania - Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia - and some parts of Asia.
While most people don’t experience any symptoms of the virus, those that do often report: rashes, itching all over the body, fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis and pain behind the eyes.
Earlier this year, WHO said Zika will no longer be treated as an international medical emergency.