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First Zika virus case in King County, officials report

In this Jan. 27 file photo, samples of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting dengue and Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – Health officials have confirmed the first case of the Zika virus in King County. It’s the third case of Zika in Washington state.

The King County case involved a man in his forties who recently traveled to the country of Colombia. That’s one of the countries where Zika is actively spreading, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The other two Washington state cases were found in people who became infected in countries that have active Zika outbreaks.

The King County case does not pose a risk to the public. The mosquitoes that transmit Zika aren’t found in the Pacific Northwest so health officials don’t expect the virus to spread.