The Zika virus is spread primarily through mosquito bites but can also be spread through sexual contact.

The symptoms of the virus are not severe and people seldom die from the fever that results from the virus.The concern over Zika comes from the birth defect it can cause when a pregnant woman is infected with the virus. The virus can cause microcephaly (small head circumference) and brain damage in children born from an infected mother.

In May 2015, the first confirmed case was reported in Brazil.

The first case of the virus in the United States was reported on Tuesday of this week in Dallas, Texas.

Health officials think that it is only a matter of time before someone who has traveled to countries like Brazil where the virus has taken hold unknowingly brings the virus back to Georgia.

The Center For Disease Control and Prevention is running tests on specimens from people with travel histories in the areas where the virus is prominent.

Sources:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/zika-virus-sexual-tranmission-who-1.3431458

www.emergencymgmt.com/health/Zika-virus-likely-to-hit-Georgia-health-officials-say.html

www.cdc.gov/zika/