Chicago clinic patient awaits Zika virus test results

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Presence St. Joseph Hospital said a patient at a Presence Health clinic in Chicago was tested for a suspected case of the Zika virus. Doctors are still waiting for the results.

Administrators said the patient has symptoms consistent with the virus and had traveled recently to an area affected by the disease. There are three confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Illinois, but this is the first suspected case in Chicago.

On Wednesday, Florida's governor declared a health emergency in the state after nine Zika cases were confirmed. That number is expected to grow.

On Tuesday, the first sexually-transmitted case of Zika in was confirmed in Texas. It involved a man who recently traveled to an infected region.

The president of Brazil said the Zika virus has gone from a distant nightmare to a real threat against the country's people. She encouraged citizens to take concrete measures to eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitos that carry the virus.

Zika doesn't always produce symptoms. But when it does, they're comparable to the flu. The most concerning health risk is for expectant mothers carrying the disease, as it has been linked to a birth defect that stunts head and brain development.