The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has confirmed two cases of Zika virus, which spreads through mosquitoes.
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The major public health scare of this year in Florida thus far: the Zika virus.
Though Zika is usually transmitted by mosquitoes, women who are pregnant may also be at risk for sexual transmission and should use condoms or refrain from sex during pregnancy if they are concerned, CDC said.
More information about the Zika virus can be found on the Centers for Disease Control website. China has also been on alert as experts warn the warming weather may facilitate the spread of the mosquito-borne virus.
Common symptoms of the virus include fever, joint pain, a rash and red eyes that can last from several days to a week after being bitten.
The virus has been linked with neurological conditions including microcephaly, a condition which leads to babies being born with undersized skills and developmental problems.
“I think most epidemiologists would say it’s certainly related”, Frieden said. It was first detected in Brazil, where it is believed to have infected hundreds of thousands of people as it began its march across the Americas.
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All of the Californians who contracted the virus did so while traveling outside of the U.S. With 44 cases, Florida has had the most of any state, including 19 in Miami-Dade and six in Broward County. Two women terminated the pregnancy, one after scans indicated that the fetus had an undeveloped brain.
