No vaccine or antiviral drug is available to prevent or treat Zika virus.
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The department says the most common symptoms of Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.
Dr. Tomarken sent a letter Tuesday cautioning that Zika virus may be transmitted not only by infected mosquitoes but also by a male to his sex partners. For pregnant women, the virus could lead to the baby developing microcephaly, which is a serious birth defect that causes a baby’s head to be much smaller than it should be.
So far, all but one case of sexual transmission in Polk County were acquired by travelers outside the state, the health department reported. Cuba reported its first case of Zika virus on 2 March making it one of the last countries in the Americas to have contracted the mosquito-borne virus.
Brazil said it has confirmed more than 740 cases of microcephaly, and considers a lot of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.
For more information on Zika virus, check the CDC’s site here. The CDC reported the same day that the number of cases in MA had increase from 1 in January to now 3 total. The CDC noted that adults who got infected by Zika rarely die of the disease.
The list of countries, as well as some USA territories, with Zika cases continues to grow. To date, Zika virus has not been confirmed in any state resident.
This is because the mosquitoes that spread the Zika virus are rare at higher elevations because of the lack of humidity and other conditions.
Department staff is answering the questions of Wyoming residents and healthcare providers regarding the necessity for Zika testing in certain cases.
The study also bolsters evidence that Zika alone triggers brain damage in infants, Hotez added, and not a co-infection with another virus such as dengue, a suggestion made by some public health officials observing the incidence of both diseases in Brazil.
A local travel consultant says travel is going through the roof, despite Zika reports. Director of Women’s Services at Memorial Hospital Jill Bodden revealed to Florida Times Jacksonville that although the doctors at the hospital are fielding more questions from pregnant women, they remain calm.
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Arkoosh said that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should consult with a medical professional before traveling to areas where the virus has been found, as there have been cases of birth defects and other complications in pregnant women who have been infected.
