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Mosquitoes capable of spreading Zika found in Wayne County

Posted at 1:27 AM, Aug 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-26 01:27:02-04

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Health officials say mosquitoes capable of spreading the Zika virus have been documented in Michigan for the first time.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Wayne County Department of Health, Veterans and Community Wellness announced Friday that Asian tiger mosquitoes have been found in an industrial area in Livonia along the Interstate 96 corridor.

Officials stressed there’s no evidence of Zika virus-infected mosquitoes in Michigan or the Midwest this year.

They say the species has been extending its known range and recently was found in Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Connecticut.

The Zika virus can be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy or through unprotected sexual contact. A large outbreak of Zika occurred beginning in 2015 in Latin America and the Caribbean.