UK Health Officials: Zika Threat Real, Unlikely To Seriously Impact Kentucky

WUKY | By Josh James

Published February 8, 2016 at 4:46 PM EST

Josiane da Silva holds her son Jose Elton, who was born with microcephaly, outside her house in Alcantil, Paraiba state, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016. The Zika virus, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, thrives in people's homes and can breed in even a bottle cap's-worth of stagnant water. Public health experts agree that the poor are more vulnerable because they often lack amenities that help diminish the risk. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

University of Kentucky infectious disease specialists are urging pregnant women to heed the advice of the Centers for Disease Control and avoid travel to countries where the Zika virus is active.

Mostly asymptomatic, the mosquito-borne illness can cause microcephaly or abnormally small heads in newborn infants. So far, UK Healthcare’s Dr. Derek Forster says he’s unaware of any cases in the commonwealth, but "obviously this is a global society. We live in a world where people travel."

"Is it possible to see people infected with this virus in Kentucky? Yeah, I think that's certainly a possibility and I wouldn't be surprised if that would eventually happen," he continued.

Those cases would likely be imported, not native to Kentucky. And while the potential for person-to-person sexual transmission exists, it appears rare.

The CDC recommends that pregnant women postpone travel to areas dealing with Zika outbreaks if possible. For an updated list of affected areas, go here.