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South Africa Confirms First Zika Virus Case

On Feb.1, the World Health Organization a global health emergency over an outbreak of birth defects and neurological disorders linked to the fast-spreading Zika epidemic, in a move that reflects the extraordinary circumstances surrounding a virus that causes no symptoms in the vast majority of cases.

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Health officials released limited details Friday about Iowa’s first positive Zika case.

“We are much stronger than this mosquito”, Rousseff said, referring to the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads the feared virus.

Although Zika was first discovered in Africa, there has been only 20, or less, recorded case of the disease in the continent since 2007.

As many as 4,400 babies in Brazil have been born with microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads and brains, to women who may have been bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus.

“However, a case of sexual transmission was recently reported in the USA but is still regarded to be very rare”, Motsoaledi said.

I am also anxious that people are saying it is the first case of Zika in SA.

About one in five people infected with Zika virus become ill.

The ministry says anyone who has travelled to countries affected by the virus should speak with their health-care provider, who can advise them on the need for testing.

The department’s spokesperson, Joe Maila told EWN that the businessman presented himself with rash and fever after arriving in the country.

“The Aedes mosquito that transmit the Zika virus in South America also transmit the dengue fever and yellow fever, but this viruses are not found in South Africa, indicating that the local Aedes mosquito does not contribute to the spread of the Zika virus”, Motsoaledi said.

Williams urged any Ontarians who have been to Zika-prone areas and are exhibiting similar symptoms to be checked out by a doctor.

“What we’re trying to do is to better define the association between children that have been diagnosed with microcephaly and whether or not they might have evidence of congenital Zika virus infection”, said CDC medical epidemiologist and study lead Dr. Erin Staples.

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Brazil, which has confirmed more than 500 cases of microcephaly, is scrambling to contain the Zika virus, fearing that the outbreak could dampen attendance at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August. Another CDC study underway in Brazil is looking at whether there is a link between Zika and Guillain-Barré.

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