The virus, transmitted by mosquito, has spread across most of Latin American since a surge in infections was first detected in Brazil last October.
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Taylor says women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, consult a health-care practitioner before travelling to a region where the virus is circulating. The symptoms of Zika include fever, achy joints, a rash and pink eye.
There are also reports of other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected during pregnancy, according to the CDC.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) confirmed that two cases have been detected in New York City, Sputnik reported. The Zika virus can lead to birth defects.
A day after World Health Organization warned that Zika virus was spreading “explosively”, the government also made a decision to strengthen its surveillance system and asserted that it is taking all measures to ensure that it is “well prepared” in case of any eventuality.
One public health official says the reason there is no threat of the spread in our area right now is because there’s only one way the virus is spread. But for pregnant women, it can be a devastating problem.
As for those people who are not traveling in one of the 23 countries infected with Zika, medical professionals are adamant that there is no reason to worry about contracting the disease within the U.S.
A Kamloops snowbird living in Barbados believes she contracted the virus leaving her ill for more than a week. The virus appears to cause microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s head is smaller than normal and the brain has not developed normally.
China faces a risk of the import of Zika virus but the possibility of an outbreak is low, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Friday.
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Brazil has been worst affected by the outbreak, followed by Colombia, but more than 20 other countries have seen cases.
