by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:45 PM ET, Thu October 13, 2016
On Tuesday, the Hawaiian Department of Health announced that the first travel-related case of the Zika virus has been reported on Hawaii Island.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, health officials in the state announced that the Hawaiian resident who was infected with the Zika virus had recently traveled to the South Pacific, but they were past the point of being infectious to mosquitoes.
While the travel-related case of the Zika was confirmed, there have still been no cases of the illness being acquired locally, and the Hawaiian Department of Health said no mosquitoes have transmitted the virus.
Health officials visited the home and workplace of the person infected by the Zika virus to ensure that the illness had not spread and to treat areas possibly infected. The Hawaiian Department of Health also said it expects imported or travel-related cases of Zika to increase and is advising travelers to use repellent and avoid mosquitoes.
"The County of Hawaii is working with the Department of Health to take proactive steps to assess affected areas for mosquito activity, educate communities, and treat mosquito breeding sites," Civil Defense Administrator Ed Teixeira said in a statement. "This event is a reminder that we all need to remain vigilant and take steps to prevent mosquito bites especially when traveling to affected areas worldwide, and eliminate mosquitoes by emptying standing water where they can breed."
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