Growing number of problems found in Brazilian babies affected by Zika

New Jersey now has an in-state laboratory capable of testing medical specimens for the presence of the Zika virus, state health officials announced Monday.

There have been no known reports of mosquitoes spreading the disease in the United States, but travelers have reported more than 500 cases, including the 16 in New Jersey, the Department of Health said.

The principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims the virus is concerning, as reported by ABC.

Florida recently modified how it counts Zika infections in pregnant women, including those who were asymptomatic.

Researchers estimate that a woman infected with Zika during pregnancy has a one-percent chance of giving birth to a baby with the birth defect.

While Zika is carried primarily by a mosquito not found in the state, a related species – the Asian tiger mosquito – is a possible transmitter of the virus and is frequently found in the county during the summer months.

University of Missouri Family and Community Medicine Professor Sarah Swofford thinks mosquitoes in the continental USA carrying the virus is a theoretical concern, but that could change. This disease occurs in babies of mothers who are infected with the Zika Virus while pregnant. However, there have also been cases where Zika was transmitted through sexual contact.

The faces of babies with deformed heads have become the symbol of the Zika virus circulating around the world. The state health department encourages residents to drain standing water in any containers, which is the breeding source for mosquitoes; cover exposed skin with long-sleeved shirts and trousers, and to wear mosquito repellent outdoors.

In Brazil, the hardest-hit country, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika, and almost 1,400 cases of microcephaly have been registered since the outbreak began past year. Currently, outbreaks are occurring in many countries and territories. Commonwealth officials are particularly concerned about the risks for pregnant women, Forlano said.

Findley said she would like to see Congress dedicate money to controlling mosquito populations in the south before the virus can spread north.