“Consistent nd correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of sexual transmission of many infections, including those caused by other viruses”. However, he said that more information is needed on those findings, including the methodology behind them, and the recent guidelines do not address kissing.
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Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick said the state had to be prepared for more cases of Zika, linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil.
The CDC is warning pregnant women against travel to affected areas, and health officials in several of the affected countries are telling women there to avoid becoming pregnant.
But because there is no vaccine or treatment specific to Zika virus, CDC says it’s best to take precautions against being bitten.
The World Health Organization is advising officials not to accept blood donations from people who recently returned from countries affected by the Zika virus.
A ZIKA outbreak on the Sunshine Coast is unlikely because the species that carries the virus hasn’t been found this far south.
But one thing is certain – the emergence of Zika, as seen on these maps, reflects the shrinking world we live in. “I understand that this is a stressful situation for women and families and particularly for women who are pregnant and what we are doing in our efforts is prioritizing all of the work we can do to protect pregnant women”, he said.
Health officials have warned pregnant women to think twice about the lips they kiss and called on men to use condoms with pregnant partners if they have visited countries where Zika is present.
The CDC issued an interim guideline for prevention of sexual transmission of the dises. “Pregnant women should receive routine prenatal care, including an ultrasound during the second trimester of pregnancy”.
Over the past two weeks, the CDC says testing for Zika is improving.
That rare condition – in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves – can cause paralysis, and some South American nations have linked it to the Zika virus.
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Two weeks ago, the CDC advised any pregnant woman with symptoms of Zika (which can be mild and include fever, rash, headache, red eye) to be tested for the virus. While all of the Zika cases in the US have been diagnosed in travelers, there is one case in Dallas County that was sexually transmitted. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly. The primary means of transmission remains the mosquito.
