Brian Foy, an American, has become the first in the world to sexually transmit an insect-borne disease to his wife.
Foy, a vector biologist at Colorado State University who travelled to Senegal, was bitten by a mosquito and subsequently developed the Zika virus, which causes fatigue and joint pains.When Foy returned to the U.S. and had sex with his wife, he unknowingly transmitted the disease to her.
Foy, who co-authored the study with his wife, initially wrote about three anonymous patients.
He later revealed in an interview with Science Now that he is patient No. 1; his colleague, Kevin Kobylinski, a Ph.D student who accompanied Foy on the trip, is patient No. 2; and Foy's wife, Joy Chilson Foy, is patient No. 3.
Foy and Kobylinski returned from Senegal in August 2008 after collecting mosquitoes as part of their research.
Five days later, they both developed rashes on their torsos, fatigue, headaches, and swollen, painful wrists, knees and ankles. Foy said he also had an inflamed prostate, painful urination and blood in his semen.
By early September, Chilson Foy became ill - she also had a headache with hypersensitivity to light, muscle pains and chills. The Foy's children did not get sick.
The couple said they started to feel better within a week, except for the joint pains.
The Foys took their case to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab for insect-borne diseases in Fort Collins, Colo., and the scientists there were just as stumped.
Foy, a vector biologist at Colorado State University who travelled to Senegal, was bitten by a mosquito and subsequently developed the Zika virus, which causes fatigue and joint pains.When Foy returned to the U.S. and had sex with his wife, he unknowingly transmitted the disease to her.
Foy, who co-authored the study with his wife, initially wrote about three anonymous patients.
He later revealed in an interview with Science Now that he is patient No. 1; his colleague, Kevin Kobylinski, a Ph.D student who accompanied Foy on the trip, is patient No. 2; and Foy's wife, Joy Chilson Foy, is patient No. 3.
Foy and Kobylinski returned from Senegal in August 2008 after collecting mosquitoes as part of their research.
Five days later, they both developed rashes on their torsos, fatigue, headaches, and swollen, painful wrists, knees and ankles. Foy said he also had an inflamed prostate, painful urination and blood in his semen.
By early September, Chilson Foy became ill - she also had a headache with hypersensitivity to light, muscle pains and chills. The Foy's children did not get sick.
The couple said they started to feel better within a week, except for the joint pains.
The Foys took their case to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab for insect-borne diseases in Fort Collins, Colo., and the scientists there were just as stumped.
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