Fears over the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus continue as the Food and Drug Administration issues revised guidelines for blood donations and the World Health Organization unveils a $56 million worldwide plan to combat the illness.
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The ministry said people who recently arrived from the 31 countries that have reported Zika virus cases will be told not to give blood for at least a month, with women who traveled to affected countries to put off getting pregnant in the near future.
The blood sample was confirmed to contain the Zika virus by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said Wednesday afternoon.
FDA issued on Tuesday new recommendations to reduce the risk of Zika virus blood transmission for individuals who have been to areas with active Zika virus transmission.
WHO says it has tapped an emergency contingency fund to pay for Zika response until it collects the necessary funds, which will be distributed among the World Health Organization and other worldwide partners in the fight against the virus.
Another 3,935 suspected cases of microcephaly, in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and often incomplete brain development, are being investigated.
WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas (AMRO/PAHO) has been working closely with affected countries since May 2015, when the first reports of Zika virus disease emerged from northeastern Brazil.
Microcephaly is linked to zika for causing rare birth defects in newborns despite there being no such clear evidence so far.
Travelers to other countries were urged to take extra precautions against mosquito bites, through which the Zika virus could be spread.
“If Zika is really the cause of microcephaly, we should expect to see microcephaly cases in Colombia in June”, Espinal said.
US hospitals are putting a number of measures in place ahead of the arrival or warm weather, which could bring the spread of the virus to more states.
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“Mississippians are not at risk for becoming infected with this virus unless they travel”. The mosquito vector that carries Zika virus is not commonly found here or elsewhere in northern IL, especially in winter time. For most people it’s relatively harmless, but because it has been potentially linked to birth defects, scientists are urging caution. No locally acquired case has been reported as yet.
