The Zika virus has caused at least two pregnant women in the United States to opt for abortions after being diagnosed, US health officials reported on Friday.
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“New Jersey does not expect to see Zika outbreaks based on many years of mosquito control and monitoring in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and local government”, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Tina Tan.
As the Zika virus can be passed in a man’s semen, men returning from a Zika-affected area who do not have any symptoms of Zika are advised to practice safe sex, by wearing a condom, for one month after return.
While the Zika virus can be transmitted sexually, it is primarily spread by mosquito bites.
The CDC said the most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes. CDC experts still do not know if there is a link between Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare immune disorder that most people recover from. Eight of them were positive and the state lab has confirmed the ninth case.
There are total of 107 travel-related cases in the U.S.as of February 24, according to the CDC, but those numbers don’t include recent cases such as the Hudson County one. A pregnant woman can pass Zika to her fetus or to her newborn near the time of birth. The Zika virus is beginning to pop-up all around the world, and while its symptoms are not hugely problematic for everyone, it poses a big risk to pregnant women, whose babies can suffer from serious birth defects as a result of the virus. Health officials are also urging that U.S citizen should restrict their travel to Zika stroked zone for sometime.
France also detects its first case of possible sexual transmission.
“Because of the potential for congenital Zika infection, pregnant women should strongly consider canceling or postponing travel to areas with ongoing outbreaks of infection”, Farley said.
But if you are a woman who is, might be, or might soon become pregnant, there is reason to worry.
Due to the lack of previous studies on Zika, scientists are still attempting to determine the vectors by which Zika is spread.
What should I do if I am pregnant and have traveled to an area where Zika is found?
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An Aedes aegypti mosquito that can transmit the Zika virus.
