The Zika virus outbreak continues spread throughout the Western Hemisphere, including in wide swaths of Central and South America, and concerns are growing for pregnant women because the mosquito-borne virus has been linked with a serious birth defect called microcephaly, characterized by an abnormally small head and brain. Reflecting the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in many parts of the Americas, a Catholic group appealed to Pope Francis on Wednesday to allow Church members to “follow their conscience” and use contraception or to let women have abortions to protect themselves against Zika.
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The Oregon Health Authority said Wednesday the woman contracted the virus outside the United States and has since recovered. The virus has been linked to thousand of birth defects born to Zika-infected women in Brazil – considered the epicenter of the outbreak.
On February 2, the CDC confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika in the latest outbreak.
“Most important, it is necessary to understand that this is a very fluid situation, with new facts emerging on Zika every day, so it’s important to use reliable sources for information, such as the (federal) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), state Department of Health, and county and municipal health departments, ” said Perez.
Sandee LaMotte, reporter for CNN, stated that there has also been an instance of local transmission in Texas.
However, Frieden warned that “we will likely see significant numbers of cases in Puerto Rico”, based on how quickly chikungunya spread through that territory in 2014.
In one case, the CDC states, transmission occurred a few days before the man developed symptoms.
Though the new test is also limited to when patients have symptoms of the illnesses, it can be used at more facilities and could provide some diagnoses in a matter of hours, the ministry said.
Aside from either of these conditions, there are no lasting, long-term effects of Zika.
Specialists welcomed the initiative, saying it showed how the global health community had learnt crucial lessons from West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, which killed more than 11,300 people.
If your answer to all of these questions is “no”, there is arguably no reason for you to get tested. About 20 percent of those infected display mild symptoms, including body aches and rash. He or she can order blood tests to look for Zika or other similar viral diseases, such as dengue or chikungunya.
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How I can I be treated if I have the Zika virus? .
