A Middlesex County resident has tested positive for Zika virus, the first confirmed case in New Jersey since 2020. The state health department, which learned of the confirmed case on July 15, said the person acquired the virus while traveling. "This is a travel-associated case, meaning it was acquired outside of New Jersey. The risk to New Jersey residents is extremely low," department communications manager J. Zachary Barby told Patch.
That distinction between travel-associated and locally acquired infection is the entire public health question, and the state has answered it. A travel case means someone was bitten abroad and returned. A locally acquired case would mean New Jersey mosquitoes were carrying the virus, which would change guidance for every household in the affected area.
