Worldwide health officials have found a connection between pregnant women contracting the virus and a birth defect called microcephaly in their newborn infants.
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Thirteen babies with Zika-related birth defects have been born in the United States since July 21, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported. There is no evidence that mosquitoes are transmitting the virus in the state, health officials said.
There is no Zika vaccine yet, but researchers said they are making progress. Most never develop symptoms; those who do report fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Locally transmitted cases mean an infected mosquito bit a resident and transmitted the virus within the state.
The 114 cases have been found in 22 counties in California, with the largest numbers in Los Angeles (24) and San Diego (23) counties.
However, in pregnant women Zika can cause permanent damage to the developing fetus, including microcephaly, a condition in which the infant’s skull and brain are unusually small.
Although a mosquito bite is usually how people get Zika, you can get it through sexual activity.
While Zika has become a major concern on the east coast, a spokesperson with Lee County Mosquito Control said Thursday that the agency has not detected any domestic Zika activity in weeks.
“We are very pleased that Governor Bentley has approved the use of emergency funds to assist us with combating Zika in Alabama, State Health Officer Dr. Tom Miller said”.
The CDC has advised pregnant women not to travel to parts of Latin America and the Caribbean where Zika transmission is active.
Two infants have been born in California with Zika-related microcephaly, California health officials said Thursday.
For women, this includes preventing pregnancy for eight weeks after symptom onset.
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Florida’s aerial spraying campaign will cover 10 miles, including the one square mile area in Miami where 15 people are believed to have acquired the virus through mosquitoes.
