Illinois Has 10th Case Of Zika Confirmed As Virus Gets 'Scarier'

By Mike Ewing in News on Apr 12, 2016 3:24PM

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Public health officials confirmed a 10th case of the Zika virus in the state on Monday, saying the patient may have contracted it during a recent trip to Haiti. All of Illinois’ confirmed Zika cases originated abroad, as it's still relatively rare and unlikely to spread in the continental U.S.

This latest case comes as federal agencies call for more resources to help fight the mysterious disease.

“Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought,” Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press conference on Monday.

Zika is known to cause microcephaly, or a smaller head than expected, in infants when a pregnant mother is infected. But Schuchat said they’re learning it may cause an even broader range of complications, including prematurity and eye problems. It also may cause problems throughout the pregnancy instead of just in the first trimester as initially thought. The latest Zika case reported in Illinois is not a pregnant woman, although two of the prior reported cases were pregnant.