A pregnant female from Porter was diagnosed with the Zika virus—becoming the first confirmed case in Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Public Health District announced Thursday. The patient contracted the virus after traveling out of the country to a Zika hotbed, according to the district. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Zika can be transmitted through mosquito bites, from mother to child through pregnancy, sexual contact, blood transfusion and laboratory exposure. "I am conferring with the appropriate public health and county officials on our mosquito abatement efforts to ensure Montgomery County is taking appropriate steps to aid in mosquito control," Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal said. "Meanwhile, we ask our residents to take every precaution to protect themselves from mosquitoes and take steps to control mosquitoes around their homes and property." Although some who contract the disease have no symptoms, the most common include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, according to the CDC. Zika has been linked with birth defects, such as Microcelphaly, which leads to smaller heads and brains in newborns, according to the CDC. Officials said residents can avoid contracting mosquito-borne illnesses such as the West Nile or Zika viruses by using insect repellants and wearing long sleeved shirts, pants and socks when outdoors. Residents can also empty standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths. County commissioners employ a variety of mosquito control tools, such as trapping, testing and spraying to keep the mosquito population low. This diagnosis comes on the heels of the first West Nile virus case found in Montgomery County in late August.