Just two months ago Swiss health officials said there were 16 confirmed cases of Zika in Switzerland – but they warned the actual number could be far higher.
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The Health Department has a number of free services available to pregnant women, including Zika testing; home inspections for mosquito larvae or breeding areas; larvacide treatments; and Zika-prevention kits, which include mosquito netting, insect repellent and permethrin spray repellent for clothing. The mosquito-borne virus, which emerged a year ago in South America, is particularly risky to pregnant women and can cause severe birth defects.
Doctors say there has also been a rise in illegal abortions as many women infected with Zika fear their child could be born with birth defects. The illness is usually mild, with symptoms that last several days to a week.
In April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the virus causes microcephaly and other birth defects, joining the World Health Organization in warning of the potentially severe risks of infection. In addition, CDC has recommended a new time frame for blood testing in Zika infected pregnant women.
Concerns over the Zika virus have reached a fever pitch across Florida, as researchers in southern portions of the state continue to investigate what could be the first cases of the virus spread by mosquitoes here in the United States.
The CDC’s guidance Monday recommends a longer period to test for Zika virus particles in the blood of pregnant women, which officials hope will provide a definite diagnosis for more pregnant women infected with Zika.
ABC News reported that the CDC urged pregnant women to use barrier conception when having sex.
But a recently reported case of female-to-male sexual transmission in New York City, and limited human and non-human primate data indicating that Zika virus RNA can be detected in vaginal secretions, led to the new warning, the agency said.
Some travelers to areas with Zika will become infected while traveling but will not become sick until they return home and they might not have any symptoms.
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He cautions LGBTQ women to also practice safe sex, if their partner is planning to get pregnant. “Additionally, they should abstain from sex or use condoms if their partner has travelled to one of these areas”, warned Dr. Person.
