By contrast, data shows that demand for abortion has soared among pregnant women living in countries affected by Zika, who fear giving birth to babies with severe defects.
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To enhance the definitive diagnosis in expectant women with Zika virus infection, the agency has recommended extension of the timeframe for real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) testing to 14 days, which also includes rRT-PCR testing for a few asymptomatic pregnant women.
There have been 190 known cases of Zika in Spain at the latest count, 189 of which resulted from foreign travel with one being sexually transmitted.
While mosquitoes are by far the most common form of transmission, cases of sexual transmission can occur, either male-to-female, female-to-male or female-to-female.
Up to 1.6 million childbearing women in Central and South America may be at risk for infection with the Zika virus by the end of the first phase of the epidemic, according to a letter published online July 25 in Nature Microbiology.
In a related news, the mosquito control officials from Florida have also raised concerns about the costs of the efforts to curb the spread of the Zika virus.
Zika is only one of several diseases that can be spread by mosquitoes.
But the risk of contracting the disease in Wyoming remains low, because the two mosquitoes that carry the virus are not found in the state, Deti said.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
Almost 100,000 Colombians have been diagnosed with Zika since the first cases were confirmed last October. It expands the CDC’s definition of sexual exposure to Zika to include sex without a barrier method (including male or female condoms, among other methods) with any person–male or female–who has traveled to or lives in an area with Zika virus. Of the reported cases this year, only 21 have been linked to Zika. But there’s no need to worry about catching this particular virus as you safely cheer for Canada from your home. If a patient might have been exposed to Zika through travel or a traveling sexual partner, the CDC now says a doctor should offer her a test even if she exhibits no symptoms.
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However, it can be potentially serious for pregnant women, as there is evidence it causes birth defects – in particular, abnormally small heads in newborns.
