There have been no confirmed cases of Zika virus in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday, saying 827 patients tested for the mosquito-borne disease turned out to be free from infection.
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Researchers are one step closer to understanding the link between Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has been spreading throughout central and South America, and the birth defect microcephaly.
Zika is transmitted by mosquitoes and usually causes mild symptoms such as fever, joint pain and red eyes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We don’t want our local Asian tiger mosquitoes to pick up the Zika virus and start passing it on to people locally who have never been out of the country”.
More than a dozen cases of sexual transmission in the United States and France, and one case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil, raise questions about other ways that Zika may spread.
Even though the Zika virus is pretty scary, particularly for women who are, or could become, pregnant, until an effective treatment or vaccine can be found, trying to be as mindful as possible about minimizing risk and preventing bites seems to be the best way forward.
The FDA received a request from Key West to release the modified mosquitoes to help eradicate the Zika virus.
Although 80 percent of cases do not result in any symptoms, World Health Organization officials estimate that 1.5 million people have been infected in Brazil so far.
“This means that all suspected cases of Zika virus diseases shall be reported within 24 hours to the Epidemiology Bureau (EB) through the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Units (RESU) in the country”, the Health chief said.
Currently, the only USA cases of the virus are the result of travel.
Microcephaly is a rare condition where a baby’s head circumference is less than expected based on the average for their age and sex and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a sickness of the nervous system in which a person’s own immune system damages the nerve cells, causing muscle weakness, and sometimes, paralysis. “The problem is related to pregnancies and the Zika, because babies that are born with some kind of deformities”, she told Starr Sports. No matter what beach you plan on traveling to, you should use extra precautions with children and women who are pregnant.
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“We’ve been prepared for Zika virus to have a case here and working with health care providers across the state to respond to both suspected and confirmed cases”, Sparks says. The messages provide important information on items to bring on vacation and where the Zika virus is being transmitted.
