The type of mosquito that carries the virus only lives in the far northeast corner of the country, which is sparsely populated.
Advertisement
Although only 20 percent of people infected will have symptoms, the virus has been associated with an increased risk of Guillain-Barr Syndrome, a neurological disorder and microcephaly, a birth defect characterized by smaller than normal head size.
“The illness may include a fever, a rash which is sometimes itchy, and joint pains”. There is scant evidence in the limited studies on the disease of it being linked to fatalities.
It was first reported in a monkey living in the Zika Forest in Uganda in 1947, and spread to humans in Africa and Asia within a few years.
Acting Chief Health Officer Roscoe Taylor said pregnant women who had travelled in areas prone to the virus and who had Zika symptoms should see their doctor and be tested.
“We are advising all people, but especially pregnant women, or women who may be in trying or intending to get pregnant, to avoid travelling to those countries and places where there has been Zika outbreaks”, she said.
There is now no cure or vaccine for Zika Virus.
The virus was not easily transmitted and was not present in Australian mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, 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 protecting pregnant women until they can develop a vaccine. The CDC did not say where the women lived or where specifically they had traveled.
“This woman is pregnant”.
If someone is actively infected, the CDC has a test that diagnoses Zika fairly well.
Right now the mosquito carrying the Zika virus is located in Central and South America and the Caribbean.
“For the average American who’s not traveling, this is not something they need to worry about”, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Advertisement
Zika virus, which is spread by infected mosquitos, has been appearing around the continental United States, mostly in travelers who have visited a Zika-affected area. Usually, an infection brings only with flu-like symptoms that last no more than a week.
