In order for the virus to spread from person to person, a carrier with a sufficient charge of the virus would have to be bitten by a Tiger mosquito, which itself would then have to develop a large enough charge of the virus before biting another victim and thus transmitting the disease.
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Health officials are looking into a possible link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect where babies are born with abnormally small heads.
Couples in which a man resides in or has traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who are concerned about sexual transmission of Zika virus may consider using condoms consistently and correctly during sex or abstaining from sexual activity.
Frieden repeated his belief that Zika will not spread explosively across the USA, because the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit the virus are only found in very warm areas.
The third is a single report of replication-competent Zika virus isolated from semen at least two weeks and possibly up to 10 weeks after a man had Zika virus infection.
In the US, there have been about 50 cases of travelers diagnosed with the virus, including six pregnant women. Frieden says CDC is working with scientists in Brazil and elsewhere to find out. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye”.
Here is the latest list of CDC travel advisories for Zika-affected countries and territories.
Much remains unknown about Zika, including whether the virus actually causes microcephaly. “Seven countries have reported an increase in the incidence of cases of microcephaly and/or Guillain-Barré syndrome concomitantly with a Zika virus outbreak”, World Health Organization said.
Brazil is the epicentre of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation has called “an extraordinary event and public health threat”.
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ALL aircraft returning to the United Kingdom from countries affected by the Zika virus are to be sprayed with insecticide as a “highly precautionary measure” to protect passengers. Pregnant women should discuss their male partner’s potential exposures to mosquitoes and history of Zika-like illness with their health care provider; providers can consult CDC’s guidelines for evaluation and testing of pregnant women. Anyone who travels to countries where these diseases exist should take standard precautions against mosquito bites, such as using an EPA-registered insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and trousers, and staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue.
