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Mosquito-borne West Nile virus, not Zika, should concern Iowans

“The idea is really to prevent him from getting mosquito bites and mitigating local transmission”, she added. About 80 percent of people infected do not show any symptoms, and just 1 out of 5 develops some symptoms like headaches, rash, among other.

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The first two imported Zika cases were both Thai nationals from Udon Thani in northern Thailand. Like West Nile, symptoms for Zika do not always become obvious and can sometimes be so mild that they go unnoticed.

Zika can cause birth defects in the babies of women who are infected which leads to the babies having an abnormally small head.

The first patient that the team presented was a 24-year-old woman who started feeling muscle and joint pains and experiencing fever and rashes on February 20. The exact time frame during which those with the virus can spread it has yet to be determined.

Last month, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen inquired about the whether the Games should be postponed or not to WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan.

Ultimately, Patient 1 began exhibiting Zika-like symptoms by February 20, even though she hadn’t travelled to regions grappling with the mosquito-borne disease.

That brings the total number of cases in the state to 189, with 135 of them among New York City residents. “Of the almost 200 Iowans who have been test for Zika – only seven case have been identified”. A map and list of countries where the virus is a concern can be found at the CDC’s website: www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/active-countries.html. Officials say all of those people contracted Zika in other countries. That kind of transmission isn’t likely to bring many cases to the state, though the possibility of cases arriving here will increase with significant traffic in and out of Brazil for the Olympics in August.

Earlier this week, a 38-year-old Columbus woman tested positive for the virus after visiting the Dominican Republic.

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For those anxious about Zika in Alaska, the news is mostly good, but there’s still reason to keep alert. As with many such illnesses, it’s best to be aware of the risks to prepare yourself for situations in which you might be vulnerable to infection.

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