Meanwhile, U.S. government officials announced on Thursday that there have been 273 lab-confirmed Zika infections across the 50 states in 2015, including 19 pregnant women.
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“The Aedes species of mosquito has not now been identified in Southern Nevada”.
“Because the lab results thus far point to the high probability of Zika, we are taking this very seriously”, said Dr. Lorrin Pang, Maui County District Health Officer. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis (red eyes).
Pregnant women are being warned to be vigilant to avoid mosquito bites after a 14th case of Zika virus was confirmed in Queensland.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is feared the microcephaly could be diagnosed to more than 2,500 babies in Brazil if the country’s current situation on Zika virus continues. Men returning from these regions with non-pregnant sex partners should consider abstaining from sexual activity or consistently using condoms during sex.
The ministry also requested healthcare units to strengthen supervision and take sample tests of all cases which have similar symptoms to Zika virus infection.
Hoping to prevent the spread in NY of the Zika virus, which is thought to contribute to microcephaly and other birth defects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has initiated an “action plan” led by the state health department to increase mosquito eradication, coordinate reporting and treatment, provide emergency response when the mosquito-borne virus is discovered and educate the public about prevention.
But because of the risk of Zika transmission, it is imperative that workers follow the standard protective procedures, the CDC said.
“This is typical of viruses, like Zika [which cause only mild symptoms]”, says Duane Gubler, an emerging disease expert at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.
“With late spring and summer approaching, we know it is a popular time for mission trips and vacations to these areas”, Dobbs said. “Simple steps can make a big difference”.
Two kinds of mosquitoes, aedes aegypti (typically found in tropical climates) and aedes albopictus (found from the Americas to the Great Lakes), transmit the Zika virus to humans.
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Meanwhile, the United States health officials remind healthcare workers to use standard protective gear during childbirth to keep the newborn from being infected with Zika virus. All DNA mutates over time and the seven genes of a Zika virus can be matched to samples taken from elsewhere.
