Dominica reports first case of mosquito borne Zika virus

ROSEAU, Dominica _ Dominica is reporting its first case of the Zika virus that has been rapidly spreading across the hemisphere.

Health Minister Kenneth Darroux says it is a locally transmitted case since the sickened person has not recently travelled off the Caribbean island.

Darroux asserted Tuesday that there was “no need for alarm” and advised anyone showing symptoms to seek medical help.

The mosquito-spread Zika causes a mild illness in most people. But researchers are trying to determine whether the virus can cause microcephaly, a condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. The virus has also been linked to the rare Guillain-Barre paralysis.

The Associated Press