Traces of Zika virus RNA can persist in semen for as long as 6 months, longer than previously thought, Italian researchers reported today in two separate Eurosurveillance reports involving men who traveled to Haiti, one in his early 40s and one in his early 30s.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, aerial spraying that began last week rapidly killed adult mosquitoes that ground-applied pesticides could not reach, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, told the Associated Press. In the first report, Zika virus was still detectable in semen 181 days after symptom onset, and shedding in saliva persisted until day 47.
“The risk of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in North Carolina transmitting Zika virus is very low”, said State Public Health Veterinarian Carl Williams, DVM.
There have been no reported cases of Zika transmission by mosquitoes in NY, according to last week’s health department alert. This year, additional monitoring is underway in outlying communities to detect the presence of the mosquito species that transmits the Zika virus.
Fewer than 20 people in Wisconsin have confirmed cases of Zika, all contracted during recent travel to areas which have mosquitoes that transmit the virus. Some 4,000 students attend six schools in the Wynwood arts district. A group of health experts recently called for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games to be postponed or cancelled due to the Zika threat but the WHO (World Health Organization) rejected the proposal.
Meanwhile, the department reported 14 new travel-related cases in the state as of August 9.
Learn more about the CDC recommendation here.
Advertisement
In April, Governor Scott Walker approved the addition of nine project positions in DPH to help with the response and prevention of outbreaks, including Elizabethkingia anophelis and also in anticipation of the presence of Zika. Travelers to areas with Zika should monitor for symptoms or sickness upon return. An infant girl, whose mother traveled to El Salvador while pregnant, died in Houston shortly after her birth a few weeks ago. Less common symptoms include fever, joint pains and muscle aches.
