A case of the Zika virus has been confirmed in Oneida County.
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To help residents resolve questions about the virus and its spread, the state has set up a Zika Virus Information Hotline.
To date, officials said 426 cases of travel-related Zika have been reported in the United States.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday confirmed that a 20-year-old South Korean tourist has contracted Zika virus infection in the Philippines, the third confirmed case in the country. Women who have had the Zika virus while pregnant may give birth to children with microcephaly: a birth defect that causes small heads, brain problems and a shortened life span.
“It appears very likely nearly certain that Zika virus is causing birth defects in fetus’ of pregnant women and some of the travelers that come back to Rhode Island will be pregnant women and the chance that they will have babies with birth defects is always there”, said Capt. Dr. David Morens with the NIH.
While Puerto Rico is now experiencing massive outbreaks of the virus, health officials fear that it may soon become more prominent in warm-weather states. Officials said the woman does not pose a risk of infecting other people.
“Wolbachia showed to be as effective on Zika as the most important Dengue experiments we did”, Moreira said in the statement. They include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.
“What CDC is saying is: You need a plan in place because albopictus could transmit Zika in your area, and you need to take it seriously”. The state lab was approved to test for Zika in April.
Zika symptoms are mild for most adults and last less than a week. “Women who are pregnant should avoid travel to Zika-affected areas if possible and both women and men who do travel to areas where the Zika virus is spreading should take precautions to prevent infection from this virus”.
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Men diagnosed with Zika – or who had symptoms of Zika – should consider using condoms or not having sex for at least six months after symptoms begin, according to the state. None of those patients were infected from mosquito bites in the state.
