Chile confirms first case of locally acquired Zika

The Chilean Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika in the country.

The 46-year-old woman was infected with the virus as she had unprotected sex with her partner, who was infected with Zika in Haiti, said the ministry in a press release.

"This is the first case of the virus being sexually transmitted in mainland Chile, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the disease, does not exist," said the press release.

The ministry warned against unprotected sex among people at risk as the majority of the infections caused by the Zika virus are symptomless.

"They should consider practicing safe sex or abstaining from sexual activity for at least four weeks after they return (to Chile from risk countries). In the case of pregnant women, this care should be taken during their whole gestation period," said the ministry.

There have been 10 confirmed imported Zika cases in Chile, eight of them in 2016, it said.