Case of sexually transmitted Zika virus reported in Texas

A case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, rather than a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a patient had been infected in Dallas County, Texas.

The patient was reportedly infected after having sexual contact with someone who returned from a country where the disease is present.

The news comes as two adults have been confirmed to have the Zika virus in Ireland.

The cases - the first of their kind in the country - are unrelated to each other and both patients are said to be currently well and fully recovered.

Both individuals have a history of travel to a Zika affected country, Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed.

"These are the first cases of Zika virus infection confirmed in Ireland," a HSE spokeswoman said.

"Neither case is at risk of pregnancy."

Mosquito-borne Zika has been linked to birth defects in thousands of babies in South America.

The virus has been linked to microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.

The rapid spread of the disease has led the World Health Organisation to declared the virus a global public health emergency.

It is thought as many as four million people could become infected by the Zika virus, and experts have said a vaccine for widespread use is months if not years away.

Previously, international health officials had noted one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission.

Although Texas has seen seven other Zika cases related to foreign travel, the Dallas case would be the first known infection to take place on the US mainland.