Zika presents “significant potential for a public health emergency”, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sylvia Burwell said last month, which prompted regulators to issue its clearance for the Zika test, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in a letter to the CDC last week.
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Another, far more common mosquito could transmit the Zika virus, Brazilian researchers suggest.
Zika is generally a mild illness, but children born to women who were infected with the Zika virus disease during pregnancy may have a higher chance of having birth defects. Microcephaly is associated with retardation and other neurological problems, and it can’t be cured. A volunteer team of data scientists, engineers and designers from the company has begun working with UNICEF officials to build an open-source platform for collecting and processing Zika-related data from different sources. Zika is a virus that is spread through mosquito bites. Let’s just hope all of this helps halt the spread of the virus and helps the medical community fight it. She added that the search giant has made some updates to its products to make Zika information more accessible.
The company, which owns YouTube, will also work with YouTube video creators across Latin America to raise awareness about Zika prevention through their channels.
Google said it had seen a 3,000 per cent increase in global search interest since November. Recently, health officials have been alarmed to discover the spread of the disease in America and the rise of babies in Brazil having microcephaly, which apparently is connected to the disease. Most people exposed to the Zika virus won’t develop any symptoms at all. Raising people’s awareness about how to protect themselves from infection is therefore key to combating Zika, as is supporting organizations dedicated to developing diagnostics and vaccines.
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The Oklahoma State Department of Health has received confirmation that two people in Oklahoma acquired the Zika virus during global travel. Officials said there is no reason for the public to be concerned that they are at risk for getting Zika in San Francisco at this time as it is not circulating in the Bay Area. These tools, which are also designed for future emergencies, could help the response units and organizations to efficiently use their time and resources.
