This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's efforts to gather information and quickly detect adverse effects of the Zika virus were bolstered this week by a $200,000 award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC announced Tuesday that Utah was among 40 states and territories to receive assistance.
The funding will help Utah speed up its monitoring of infants with birth defects related to the virus, such as microcephaly and ear, eye and central-nervous-system defects, said Amy Nance, program manager for the Department of Health's Utah Birth Defect Network.
For example, Nance said the funding will help health officials follow pregnant women who have tested positive for Zika during and after their pregnancies. A full-time epidemiologist will be hired to collect data and work with the CDC. The money also will be funneled toward educating health care providers and anyone who could become pregnant, she added.
"We'll be working on getting women screened or tested for Zika and then working with hospitals and making sure that the necessary tests are also run at the time of delivery" and during follow-up care, Nance said.
Health officials also will work with a pediatric neurologist to review these cases, she added.
The CDC recently sent a team to Utah to help investigate an unusual case of Zika in the state. An individual became diagnosed with the virus after caring for a deceased Salt Lake County man who was infected with it.
That individual — the eighth to be diagnosed with Zika in the state — had not traveled to a Zika-infected area or had sexual contact with anyone who had traveled to such an area or was infected. The person has recovered.
The man who died was elderly and had an underlying condition, but officials say the virus contributed to his death.
Cases of Zika are usually mild and rarely result in death. The most common symptoms of the virus are rash, joint pain, fever and red eyes. Most people who have Zika never exhibit symptoms, according to the CDC.
Sexual activity can transmit the virus. If a woman is pregnant or trying to get pregnant, she should not have unprotected sex with a man who has been to an area where the virus is spreading. The virus can cause birth defects in children whose mothers were infected during pregnancy, according to the CDC.
There is no vaccine or medication to cure Zika.
As of last week, there have been 1,657 travel-associated cases reported in the U.S. states, the CDC states.
Twitter: @alexdstuckey