Mosquitoes in Central and South America are transmitting the Zika virus.
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Airlines have been offering refunds to passengers in countries affected by the Zika virus outbreak.
There is growing alarm over the outbreak, with the World Health Organization on Thursday saying Zika is “spreading explosively” throughout the Americas, and calling for an emergency meeting to try to find ways to stop the spread.
He explained the virus causes no more than a mild illness in most people – a majority of 75 per cent people infected with the virus would not display any symptoms at all, while 25 per cent may suffer mild fever and rashes.
Hospitals in Brazil are overwhelmed by the exponential increase in babies born with microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains and small heads.
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika.
Affected areas include Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Once someone is tested for the Zika virus, he or she could wait up to two weeks for results. Alberta has also reported a case of an individual who contracted the virus overseas.
Both United Airlines and JetBlue say they will let people flying to the impacted areas rebook their flight for a later date or get a refund.
We’re learning more about a virus health experts across the state say is causing “urgent concerns” for pregnant women.
However, with the onset of spring and summer, the risk of Zika virus transmission in Europe will grow, as mosquitoes find better breeding grounds in warmer climates. The travelers were infected overseas and diagnosed after they returned home.
Arruda noted that the Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, and given that Quebec is in the midst of winter, such insects are not present. “Pregnant women and mothers with newborn babies who have visited affected countries should consult with their health care providers”.
The news follows a previous warning from the Foreign Office, recommending women who are pregnant, or who are planning on becoming pregnant, to avoid travelling to countries where outbreaks have been confirmed. “This mosquito is apparently a daytime mosquito and it hosts on humans, so it would take the virus from someone who had a positive virus to the next person, the human the host”.
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He says there has been no transmission of the virus in the USA, meaning those 31 people picked up the virus from infected areas outside of the continental U.S.
