Reports out of Brazil suggest the virus in pregnant women can lead to birth defects, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
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There are now 12 people diagnosed with the Zika virus in Florida, up from nine people on Wednesday, Scott said during a news conference.
While the most common form a transmission is through the bite of an infected mosquito, the Zika virus also can be transmitted from a pregnant mother who is infected with the virus to her baby during pregnancy.
Among them will likely be pregnant women, the population most vulnerable to the devastating effects of the virus. The disease then spread into the Americas, except for countries like Canada and Chile, which have colder temperatures.
The first deaths from the Zika virus have been confirmed.
Symptoms – fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye – are generally mild and appear in only 20 percent of cases.
It would be extremely hard to determine if individuals who contracted the virus in countries where the disease is circulating in mosquitos, contracted the virus sexually, so experts don’t know how common sexual transmission may be.
The virus has been linked to the spread of a birth defect which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.
Local doctors say the Stateline should not have to worry, but the county health department will be testing for Zika along with West Nile when the weather begins to get warmer.
So, the agency is advising men returning from Zika virus affected areas to use condoms, or abstain from sex with their pregnant partner through duration of her pregnancy. This prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare Zika virus as global public health emergency.
“We recommend pregnant women avoid large gatherings, and avoid sharing cups or materials that pass by the mouth”.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it is “closely monitoring” the situation surrounding the Zika virus in Brazil ahead of this summer’s Games.
“Spraying insecticide is a highly precautionary measure to reduce the risk to passengers during flights to the United Kingdom”, the British public health minister Jane Ellison said in a statement.
The American Red Cross is also asking prospective donors who have visited Zika-affected areas to wait a month before giving blood.
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Since the first reported case in Brazil in May 2015, the mosquito-borne Zika virus has infected an estimated 1.5 million people in the country.
