Fear of being bitten Zika-carrying mosquitos also failed to grip the hundreds of thousands of revelers at this year’s Carnival festival.
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The Obama administration is seeking $1.8 billion in emergency funds from Congress to combat the threat of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the White House announced Monday.
“At this moment in time, I would not want my pregnant wife travelling to an area that has an epidemic or has Zika virus present”, McCormack says.
The virus has been actively transmitted in a list of South and Central American countries, as well as countries in Africa and Asia, according to the CDC.
It has been making headlines in recent weeks because Brazil’s Ministry of Health identified a possible link between the Zika virus and a hike in the number of microcephaly cases, a condition where babies are born with abnormally small heads.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) told US sports federations that athletes and staff concerned for their health over the Zika virus should consider not going to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in August.
The flurry of recommendations began in Brazil, where a top health official said that scientists have found live virus in saliva and urine samples, and the possibility it could be spread by the two body fluids requires further study.
In addition, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has already issued health warnings for pregnant women where they are asked not to visit locations linked to Zika virus. In fact, approximately 80 percent of people who become infected never experience symptoms.
Most people who catch Zika aren’t affected very badly but it is much more serious for women who are pregnant. That applies to both male and female Olympians, given the virus can be transmitted sexually.
“It’s business as usual, because we know how to control these mosquitoes”, Conlon said.
The other effect of the Zika virus is more devastating.
In addition to taking steps to prevent mosquito bites, she also advised that pregnant women use condoms or abstain from sexual activity with anyone who has recently returned from one of the countries where Zika virus is spreading.
Because one of the greatest risk factors for getting Zika is proximity to mosquitoes, people traveling to areas where the outbreak is active should wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts and long trousers.
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USA officials are rushing to secure the funds necessary to ramp up their anti-Zika work before the spring and summer months bring mosquitoes out in droves in the continental United States, especially down south.
