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Evidence Comes To Light That Mosquito-Borne Zika Virus May Be Sexually Transmitted

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Evidence is coming to light to suggest that mosquito-borne Zika virus may be sexually transmitted.

Brian Foy, a Colorado State University biologist, says he was infected with the Zika virus during a research trip to Senegal in 2008.

Several days after returning home to his wife, he says she got sick.

"That's when my wife came down with basically the same symptoms that I did and that's when we were like, 'OK, I need to document even more of this,' " he said.

Foy concluded that he passed on the virus through intercourse and then published his findings, but only now is his research garnering attention.

Michael Lewis, a local family physician, says the possibility of sexually transmission of the Zika virus is a game-changer.

"It should raise our eyebrows to the possibility that it could spread that way," he said.

But he also says transmission through any bodily fluid is unlikely.

"The virus has to replicate to a level that is high enough to not only survive but then find a new home," Lewis said.

On Tuesday night as several major airlines said they would allow travelers to cancel trips to some Central American countries without penalty, warnings for pregnant travelers are also growing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's travel alert now includes the Dominican Republic and the U.S. Virgin Islands, along with the 22 other countries, including Mexico. For a complete list, click here.

Word from public health officials that a 15-year-old Los Angeles County girl contracted the virus while in El Salvador last year also has doctors concerned that the threat could be close to home.

"We don't know if it will mutate as viruses do and sometimes become stronger, sometimes become weaker," Lewis said.

The CDC says there is not enough evidence yet to issue a warning that the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted, but the department is recommending that all doctors screen pregnant women who have
been to those affected countries.

The Zika virus has been blamed for causing babies to be born with small heads and underdeveloped brains.

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