Are US Cases Of Zika Different Than Non-US Cases?

Stephen Redd, MD (RADM, USPHS), Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discusses whether or not there are differences between US-acquired Zika and non-US acquired Zika virus cases.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“There doesn’t appear to be any difference in the cases [of Zika] that are acquired from mosquitoes in the United States [vs] the ones that are acquired from sexual transmission in the United States [vs] the ones that are acquired overseas and then brought back by travelers.

The viruses that have been transmitted in Latin America are the same ones that are being seen in the United States. [The virus] is being brought back by travelers and so it’s the same strain being seen in South and Central America.”