The discovery doesn’t prove the Zika virus is the cause of thousands of cases of microcephaly in Brazilian babies since the spring. The virus remains in infected people’s blood for about a week, Frieden said. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Aedes mosquitoes are found in all countries in the Americas except Canada and continental Chile, and the virus will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found. Zika symptoms, which include fever, rash, joint pain and redness of the eyes, are mild, and serious illness requiring hospitalization is uncommon. In women who were infected while pregnant, it is linked to a severe birth defect, microcephaly, in which the fetal head size is much smaller than normal.
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How is Zika related to microcephaly?
We’ve put together a timeline to track the global response to Zika virus and scientists’ understanding of how it affects people, with the most recent events at the top.
“This is a huge step toward proving this virus causes microcephaly”, said Dr. Charles Chiu, director of a viral diagnostic laboratory at UC San Francisco.
What are the symptoms of Zika infection?
Health officials recommend people who are traveling to those locations to protect themselves against mosquitoes.
How can Zika be contained?
It advised using insect repellent with DEET; wearing light-colored clothes that cover the body; closing doors and windows; sleeping under mosquito nets; eliminating potential mosquito breeding sites in containers that can hold even small amounts of water, such as buckets, flower pots and tyres.
Health officials in Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and DE have confirmed cases of Zika virus in those states.
How widespread is the outbreak in the Americas?
The recovery of Zika virus that would permit a full genomic analysis also sets the stage for many insights. Brazil has been the nation most affected.
What is the history of the Zika virus? They should avoid aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs. Sexual transmission of the disease also has been reported, though this appears to be rare.
Together, the findings offer important evidence but still, “there are more questions than there are answers at the moment”, Greene said.
The U.S. blood supply is also being monitored closely.
What other complications are associated with Zika? Brazil is investigating more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly and has identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases.
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Meanwhile, doctors have noted increased reports of a nerve condition called Guillain-Barre that can cause paralysis.
