On Thursday, a new case of Zika virus was confirmed in Nevada. A Clark County resident, who recently visited Central America as per state and local health authorities, has been found positive for Zika virus infection.

Southern Nevada Health District medical epidemiologist Tony Fredrick said that the local man had travelled to Guatemala. He tested positive for the virus after he fell ill around February 10 while he was on the trip.

Usually a mild illness, Zika virus disease generally gets transmitted via the bite of infected Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. The virus can lead to fever, red eyes, rash and joint pain. The virus received attention at an international level because of a suspected association between the disease and a rise in birth defects in infants in Brazil.

In the US, over 270 travel-linked Zika cases and minimal one domestic sexually transmitted case have been reported so far.

Fredrick added that the Clark County man, who suffered from red eyes, rash, fever, muscle and joint pain, came back to the United States on February 16. As soon as he arrived, his health care provider referred him to the health district.

The health district collected a blood sample on February 23 and sent it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing the following the day. On Thursday, CDC sent the results to the health district.

The district has refused to mention the details, including identity, age and city of residence of the man who contracted the virus. It has been verified by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health as the first confirmed Zika case across the state.

In a news release, Chief Health Officer Dr. Joseph Iser said, “The health district has been actively monitoring all developments related to the Zika virus and testing potential patients in accordance with CDC guidelines”.