The only reported cases of Zika virus in the United States have been travel-related, or brought back to the U.S.by recent travelers to infected countries, and the virus has not spread locally.
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WHO Director General Margaret Chan will visit Brazil next week to meet health officials in Brasilia and visit mothers with babies suffering from microcephaly in the northeastern city of Recife, at the epicenter of the epidemic in Brazil, Castro said.
Eliminate standing water in items such as small pools, bird baths and gutters.
It was just a few weeks ago the WHO declared Zika a public health emergency and called for quick response.
· Avoid or limit outdoor activities during peak mosquito times.
Zika cases have soared in Caribbean countries, Mexico, South and Central America since the first instances were revealed in Brazil last May.
People travelling to regions affected with Zika virus should protect themselves by taking protective measures to prevent mosquito bites and consult their doctor before traveling, Williams said.
Dr. Remley and AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases Vice Chair Yvonne A. Maldonado, M.D., FAAP, recently participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine rapid research workshop on Zika virus that brought experts together to discuss research priorities, clinical management and public health interventions. “This is a group of external advisors that supports the organization particularly the Global Malaria Programme and the Neglected Tropical Disease Programme in assessing new concepts of vector control approaches”.
County health officials are also distributing educational posters to area OB-GYN providers, Oakland County parks, camps and outdoor facilities.
Trials have shown that such releases could reduce an insect population by up to 90%, he said.
Most people who contract the infection have no symptoms, but some experience fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes. “All we’re doing is to make sure that indeed we check whether it was the Zika virus, because that’s what the NICD must conserve with the laboratory that has done the test”.
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Scientists also have yet to find out why Zika outbreaks have been followed by surges in microcephaly in Brazil and French Polynesia, but not in other countries where the virus has spread. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. While the ultimate goal is a vaccine, there is a lot of work to be done and shared on how the virus operates, he said.
