New details about the possible effects of the Zika virus on the fetal brain emerged Wednesday as USA health officials say mosquito eradication here and overseas is key to protect pregnant women until they can develop a vaccine.
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“I know that the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil is of concern to many of you”, the USOC CEO Scott Blackmun wrote in a letter addressed to all potential Olympians, reported by FOX News.
Federal health officials this week sent the state an additional 950 kits to test for viral antibodies in people who have shown Zika symptoms after traveling to affected countries and were likely infected by mosquitoes there.
AAA issued a statement Thursday that concerns about the Zika virus are pushing travel expenses lower in Florida.
The Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, has spread through Latin America and the Caribbean.
In testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee about her department’s budget request, Burwell said cases of the virus had occurred in travelers returning to the United States, and that there had been one case of sexual transmission in Dallas. “The most common symptoms of Zika are fever are rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis (red eyes)”. The CDC recommends that women who are trying to become pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant consult with their doctor before traveling to these areas, and to also follow strict steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip.
While the link between the Zika virus and birth defects like microcephaly, the condition where babies are born with smaller brains, was not clearly established, Slovenian scientists from the University Medical Center in Ljubljana have been able to prove that the Zika virus could cause microcephaly.
Zika virus is scary, and it’s understandable that people would be anxious about it. But Watkins says it’s important to keep that fear in check. But, he added, more tests are needed to confirm that the Zika virus is the cause of the birth defect.
“Women who wish to terminate a pregnancy due to a fear of microcephaly should have access to safe abortion services to the full extent of the law”, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
However, Watkins stresses that most people are infected by mosquito bites, and that’s where the main focus should be.
“If I had to make the choice today, I wouldn’t go [to the Olympics]”, Solo told Sports Illustrated when asked, explaining she feels uncomfortable about the Zika situation in Brazil.
As part of a stream of foreign researchers and regulators arriving to the South American nation in the coming days, representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will meet with their Brazilian counterparts to ensure that clinical testing of the vaccine can take place as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Scientists have suspected that Zika could be transmitted sexually, and there have been scattered reports of similar occurrences in recent years.
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Pregnant women infected with the Zika virus should seek counseling and antenatal care from a medical practitioner.
