The United States’ first case of the mysterious Zika virus has been confirmed by Hawaiian officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that state’s health department said Friday.
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The virus was found in fetal and newborn tissues of babies with microcephaly in Brazil.
The virus, transmitted by a type of mosquito common to those regions, hasn’t appeared in New York City to date, officials noted in a statement issued by the agency Saturday.
Two other public laboratories, Evandro Chagas Institute, located in Para, and the Institute of Technology in Immunobiology (Bio-Manguinhos), in Rio de Janeiro, both linked to the Ministry of Health, are also looking to partner with scientific institutions to future production of a vaccine against the disease in this country. Brazilian health authorities have reported over 3,500 cases of microcephaly – infants born with abnormally small heads which can signal a seriously underdeveloped brain – in the last four months alone.
Dr. Robert Glatter, Emergency Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital says the CDC has a warning in affect for all travel to Latin America and the Caribbean not to travel “And I advise women not to travel until we have more information” he said.
The Zika virus usually sickens people but is rarely fatal in adults.
“In this situation, an astute Hawaii physician recognized the possible role of Zika virus infection, immediately notified the Department of Health, and worked with us to confirm the suspected diagnosis”.
Zika had never before been suspected of causing microcephaly and was considered a fairly benign virus. The virus presumably reached the embryo and damaged its developing brain. Park said the case underscores the importance of the travel recommendations the CDC issued Friday for pregnant women and women who might become pregnant. No one has been infected in the United States.
Health minister Marcelo Castro aims to develop a prevention for Zika, which is spread through mosquito bites, “in record time”.
The CDC’s Peterson said that the outbreak was a regional problem, with the risk for a pregnant woman traveling to Brazil not necessarily greater than traveling to another country on the list.
The CDC suggests using insect repellents, especially those that contain DEET, IR3535, picaridin, para-menthane-doil or oil of lemon eucalyptus as these products tend to provide longer lasting protection.
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“In parallel to the recent experience with chikungunya, Zika virus has the potential to rapidly spread across Latin America and the Caribbean”, stated a recent article in the Lancet.
