The virus, which is primarily mosquito-borne, poses the biggest risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies. Many homes lack window screens and air conditioning, making it hard to prevent mosquito bites.
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Zika Virus transmission through sexual intercourse and blood transfusions is possible, but researchers blame most human cases on bites from Zika-infected mosquitoes.
Any regions within the virus structure unique to Zika have the potential to explain differences in how a virus is transmitted and how it manifests as a disease, said Richard Kuhn, who led the research team that includes Purdue graduate student Devika Sirohi.
In its latest report, Puerto Rico’s health department said there were 350 confirmed cases of Zika infection, including 40 pregnant women.
“We can now conclude that Zika virus is neurotropic, preferentially affecting tissues in the brain and brain stem of the developing fetus”, Chan said.
The Zika virus is carried by the aedes mosquito, the same species which spreads dengue and chikungunya.
“This response is going to require overlapping efforts”, Fitzgerald said.
Tom Frieden said that the threat spectrum to pregnancy is beyond just microcephaly.
The virus is spread mainly by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which also live in parts of the U.S. It was thought to be mainly in the South but the CDC revised its map this week, showing the mosquito has been found in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency last month due to the growing evidence that Zika could cause infant microcephaly, a rare birth defect defined by an abnormally small head.
“We’ve been working with states to develop their plans”, she said, “So that people coming into this already have something in hand”. Even in states like Texas, which experts expect to be among the most likely locations for local transmission of Zika, vector-control programs are concentrated along the Gulf coast.
“So, if you control water on your local property, you have a much greater chance of controlling the mosquito population and your chances of getting infected”.
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Confirmed and suspected cases of the neurological condition microcephaly in Brazil continue to rise. For most people who contract the virus, the illness will be mild and pass on its own in about one week. “There is no public health risk because the woman was exposed to mosquitoes in Honduras”, the state department of health statement indicated.
