Frieden added that the CDC has developed a test for Zika and is sending it to public health laboratories in the USA and its territories, including Puerto Rico, where the virus is spreading. Cases of microcephaly, which shrinks the heads and brains of children, have skyrocketed in places with Zika, but epidemiologists have been unable to prove that infections in mothers are directly causing the defects.
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Zika is a disease caused by a virus that is spread to humans primarily through the bite of an infected species of mosquito that is not found in Montana.
The agency also said pregnant women should consider not traveling to the Summer Olympics in Brazil, calling the situation with the virus there “dynamic”. Most of the women reported having a rash and most had two symptoms.
Women who are trying to become pregnant should talk to their doctors before making the trip, the CDC advised.
If you have a male partner who goes to the Olympics, you may be at risk for sexual transmission of Zika. In January, the CDC released details of a case of a USA woman who had lived in Brazil and gave birth to a microcephalic baby in Hawaii.
Pankratz said EPI has always been advising staff about protecting themselves from mosquito-transmitted diseases such as dengue fever, and the Zika virus only reinforces the message. They can monitor for complications through blood tests and ultrasounds, though there is no cure or specific treatment for Zika.
At the house committee hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said it appears the greatest risk for microcephaly occurs if the pregnant woman is infected with the Zika virus in her first trimester and that the severity of condition can vary.
A third development was not expected, however: Frieden says the CDC has been surprised at numerous reports of sexual transmission of Zika virus. It also had fluid in the brain and there was evidence the brain had shrunk in size.
The CDC also recommends that all travelers use insect repellent while in Zika outbreak areas and continue to use it for three weeks after travel in case they might be infected but not sick. On Jan. 15, the CDC issued an advisory telling pregnant women to consider postponing travel to areas with active transmission of Zika virus. All the cases were reported to the CDC between February 6 and February 22.
In one small study published in CDC’s weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Zika virus infection during pregnancy was associated with a range of outcomes, including early pregnancy losses, microcephaly and apparently healthy infants. Previously, 3 Oregonians had confirmed cases of Zika since 2014.
Six of the women reported their symptoms during the first trimester of their pregnancy.
The agency said it isn’t known how long the virus persists in semen.
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Zika is primarily spread by mosquito bites, and transmission through sex was thought to be extremely rare.
