Canada confirms first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in Ontario

Aamples of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting dengue and Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil, on Jan. 27, 2016. (AP / Felipe Dana)

TORONTO - Canada has recorded its first confirmed case of the Zika virus transmitted through sex.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says an Ontario resident is believed to have contracted the virus from a sexual partner who had travelled to a Zika-affected country.

Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, but a growing number of cases in the world have occurred through sexual transmission.

There have been 55 other cases of Zika among Canadians, who were all infected while travelling to regions where the disease is spreading, including South and Central America, parts of Mexico and the Caribbean.

The federal agency says there are no confirmed cases of Zika acquired locally through mosquitoes, and the risk to Canadians remains low as mosquitoes that transmit the virus are not established in Canada.

PHAC says travellers returning from Zika-affected countries and their sexual partners need to take precautions to protect themselves against the virus.