“Unfortunately, it is probably likely that we will, as the summer comes, see many local outbreaks particularly in the South Eastern part, Gulf coast states, Texas, Florida etcetera”, Antony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said. “Our goal here is to ensure that doctors and other healthcare professionals have clear guidance to inform discussions with their patients about possible exposure to Zika virus, pregnancy planning and timing of pregnancy”, said Dr. Jamieson. So, cities in like Atlanta and Savannah, Zika can easily infect a large number of people.
Advertisement
Dobbs said travelers to countries with active Zika transmission should take every precaution to avoid mosquito bites, and pregnant women should avoid travel to those countries. For privacy reasons, the state isn’t disclosing the county where affected pregnant women live.
“We have a few short months to stop Zika virus from gaining a foothold in the United States”, Dr. Edward McCabe, medical director of the March of Dimes, said today at a news conference.
The Obama administration in February requested almost $2 billion in emergency funding for Zika response work. If a Zika infected mosquito bites a woman that is pregnant or may become pregnant, the Zika virus can be passed to her baby during pregnancy or at the time of birth.
Most of these programs, Petersen said, are “primarily funded to control nuisance mosquitoes rather than to control disease-spreading mosquitoes”.
Friday, hundreds of state and local health representatives will gather at CDC to develop their Zika action plans, including how to provide information for the public (especially pregnant women), how to track and control the mosquitoes that spread Zika, how to expand availability of laboratory testing, and how to assure blood safety.
The commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Public Health is participating in a White House summit on how to fight the Zika virus.
The Mississippi State Department of Health reported and confirmed two cases of Zika virus in the state of Mississippi last week.
Mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus could be a problem in most states this year.
Although the infection itself is mild, infants born to women infected during pregnancy face an increased risk of microcephaly, a congenital condition that causes an abnormally small head and brain, and brings severe, lifelong cognitive impairments.
LUCY CARTER: But Professor Scott Richie says the threat of Zika from sexual transmission isn’t high.
Advertisement
The World Health Organization (WHO) has used its strongest language yet, saying researchers are convinced the Zika virus is linked to the birth defect microcephaly.
