The virus was first discovered in an 80-year-old man in November in Puerto Rico, a US territory. The outbreak has prompted the CDC to issue travel warnings for countries affected by Zika, largely in the Americas, as information continues to emerge about the dangers of the mosquito-borne virus.
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Two Aedes mosquito species known to transmit Zika virus have been found in three southern New Mexico counties, but diseases associated with those species have historically not reached New Mexico, Paul Ettestad, the state’s public health veterinarian, said in a Friday interview.
In the meantime, the DoH stepped up its measures to monitor the Zika virus, under the prevailing Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, Coloma said.
“While there is much we still don’t know about the dynamics of Zika virus transmission, understanding where the Aedes aegypti mosquito can survive in the USA and how its abundance fluctuates seasonally may help guide mosquito control efforts and public health preparedness”, Monaghan noted.
Brazil authorities have said they consider most of the cases of babies born with abnormally small heads to be related to Zika, though the link between the virus and the birth defects has not yet been scientifically established.
Those who have symptoms of fever, rashes, and conjunctivitis or red eyes, must consult a doctor in order to prevent the spread of the Zika virus, Coloma said. Cuban officials announced on Tuesday it had discovered its first infected citizens.
She also said the findings that the American patient did not travel to any country except the Philippines before she got sick made a travel alert “highly possible” from the CDC.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s adding Cuba to its travel notice for Zika.
The “level 2” travel alert that calls for enhanced precautions, although the CDC recommends that pregnant women not travel to Cuba at all.
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Health officials say almost 260 lab-confirmed Zika infections have been reported in the 50 states in the past year.
