--- title: Utah Zika Case Has Experts Stumped description: A person with no known risk factors for Zika got the disease, and has researchers stumped. canonical: https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-14T15:22:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:46:49.447Z article:section: Health og:title: The Zika Case That Has Experts Stumped og:description: An investigation into an infected person with no known risk factors provides few answers og:url: https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf51aea4de013ba03/6988a5f4a988cafb7b6b967b/zikamos.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5184 og:image:height: 2916 og:image:alt: Yellow fever mosquito og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Zika Case That Has Experts Stumped twitter:description: An investigation into an infected person with no known risk factors provides few answers twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf51aea4de013ba03/6988a5f4a988cafb7b6b967b/zikamos.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Zika Case That Has Experts Stumped > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16de7c03-6007-403b-a918-60c7b38253f7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16de7c03-6007-403b-a918-60c7b38253f7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=16de7c03-6007-403b-a918-60c7b38253f7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=16de7c03-6007-403b-a918-60c7b38253f7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: What Is the Zika Virus? [Watch (HLS stream): What Is the Zika Virus?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9AN9EZz4.m3u8) (0:51)  _Published 2016-08-22. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus causing mostly mild symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain and eye redness._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Sep 14, 2016 3:22 PM UTC Zika is a mosquito-borne virus causing mostly mild symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain and eye redness. by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Sep 14, 2016 3:22 PM UTC In July, the Utah Department of Health was alerted to a person diagnosed with the[ Zika](http://time.com/4468350/fda-blood-donation-zika-virus-test/) virus despite not traveling to a place with Zika or having [sexual contact](http://time.com/4468285/zika-virus-sex-transmission/) with a person who had. The person had, however, cared for an elderly male family contact who had contracted the virus while traveling and had died the month prior. (The researchers did not specify if the two people were related, but defined a family contact as someone who lived in the same household as the infected person or had direct contact with his body fluids). The U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [launched an investigation into the case in July](http://time.com/4410890/zika-infection-utah/), alongside Utah health authorities, and on Tuesday [the agency released its report](http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6536e4.htm?s%5Fcid=mm6536e4.htm%5Fw#contribAff). Unfortunately, everyone is still stumped. The elderly person who died with Zika had levels of the virus that were about 100,000 times higher than the average levels reported in other people with Zika. The family contact who later became infected told experts that they hugged and kissed the elderly man, and helped hospital workers hold him while stool was cleaned, though they did not have contact with the stool. There were 13 other family contacts who said they hugged and kissed the family member and five family contacts said they were present when his stool, urine or vomit were cleaned. Only the one person became infected. The researchers also trapped mosquitoes around the homes of the people involved, and are in the process of testing them for Zika. However, they did not find either of the two types of the mosquitoes known to carry the virus—_Aedes aegypti_ or _Aedes albopictus_ mosquitoes. Does this mean that Zika could be spread in ways beyond mosquito bites and sex—like kissing and hugging? As of now, public health experts say it’s unlikely, but admit they cannot explain how the person in Utah with no risk factors got the virus. “From what we have seen with more than 2,900 cases of Zika in US, non-sexual spread of Zika virus from one person to another does not appear to be common — this is the only case identified to date that has an unknown mode of transmission,” CDC spokesperson Benjamin Haynes told TIME in an email. “Several agencies conducted a thorough investigation in hopes of answering that question. We have not been able to definitively identify how the person was infected, and it’s possible we won’t be able to make that determination.” The authors of the report concluded that although it’s uncertain close contact can be a source of Zika transmission, “family contacts should be aware that blood and body fluids of severely ill patients might be infectious.” ## Transcript [00:55] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/"},"headline":"The Zika Case That Has Experts Stumped","datePublished":"2016-09-14T15:22:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T06:46:49.447Z","description":"An investigation into an infected person with no known risk factors provides few answers","url":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/","keywords":["Zika","Utah","CDC","infection","Zika virus"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf51aea4de013ba03/6988a5f4a988cafb7b6b967b/zikamos.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf51aea4de013ba03/6988a5f4a988cafb7b6b967b/zikamos.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Yellow fever mosquito","caption":"Yellow fever mosquito","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/zika/","name":"Zika"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/","name":"The Zika Case That Has Experts Stumped"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"What Is the Zika Virus?","description":"Zika is a mosquito-borne virus causing mostly mild symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain and eye redness.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/9AN9EZz4/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-08-22T14:36:36.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/9AN9EZz4.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/","duration":"PT51S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4492891/zika-utah-cdc-virus/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```