“We knew it was only a matter of time before we would have the first positive case of an individual in Alabama with Zika virus”, Acting State Health Officer Dr. Tom Miller said in a news release.
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Two women from the US have had miscarriages after contracting Zika virus overseas, according to a spokesperson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, there have been reports of a serious birth defect and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies of mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant.
On Wednesday, officials from the Alabama Department of Public Health confirmed that one travel-related Zika case has been identified in Alabama. “There is no vaccine available for Zika virus so it’s important for Ohioans traveling to affected areas to take steps to prevent mosquito bites”.
Today, Gov. Rick Scott announced that there’s a new Zika Virus Hotline where people who are anxious about Zika can call and talk to a real live person about what’s going on with the virus in the state.
The finding suggests that the mosquito-spread virus may unexpectedly hang around in the body for much longer than symptoms appear, which typically only last for about a week.
The health department says severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. Scientists say the hotter it gets, the better the mosquito that carries Zika virus is at transmitting a variety of unsafe illnesses.
Health officials say if a pregnant woman has traveled to an affected area they should contact their doctor.
The National Institutes of Health is now working on a Zika virus vaccine, but it probably won’t be ready for testing in clinical trials until the end of 2016, Fauci said.
The WHO has advised women, particularly pregnant women, to protect themselves from mosquito bites in Zika-affected areas and to practice safe sex through the use of condoms.
This was a week of confusing information about the Zika virus epidemic, which the World Health Organization has described as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”. Zika, which usually causes minor symptoms in the carrier, has also been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and brain abnormalities. The virus’ symptoms are generally mild, but its potential connection to two neurological disorders presents significant risks, particularly to infants and pregnant women.
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“The cause of the increase in GBS incidence observed in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Suriname remains unknown, especially as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus have all been circulating simultaneously in the Americas”, it added.
