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First case of Zika virus reported in Monroe County

There is now no vaccine or cure for Zika, which has spread to more than 50 countries and territories since the outbreak began a year ago in Brazil.

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The World Health Organization included the occurence of “congenital malformation associated with a travel-related case of Zika virus infection” in its weekly Zika update.

As a result, the potential for sexual transmission of a virus linked to babies being born with shrunken brains and skulls may be greater than previously thought. While none of these mosquitoes have tested positive for Zika thus far, I encourage CT residents to help control mosquito populations by removing standing water outside homes and eliminating trash, debris and other materials that can collect water and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes. It is meant to promote an immune response that would protect against the mosquito-borne virus that can cause devastating birth defects, according to a statement from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The action gives the government access to additional funding to fight Zika as congressional efforts to allocate money remain stalled.

In the absence of any funding from Congress, the Obama administration announced on Thursday that it will transfer $81 million from existing federal health programs to continue work on developing a Zika vaccine. There is no vaccine or medicine for zika virus.

An adult female mosquito is seen uder a microscope at the Sun Yat-Sen University-Michigan University Joint Center of Vector Control for Tropical Disease.

Keystone said the Aedes mosquito is a daytime-biting insect most active in the morning and late afternoon, and using mosquito repellent and covering your body as much as possible in areas with Zika outbreaks is important. “All I can say is the travel advisory is still in effect”, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said.

Canada’s public health agency has recommended that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant shouldn’t travel to areas with Zika outbreaks.

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Garcia recently authorized the use of Bti, an organic larvicide, to fight the spread of Zika after rejecting aerial spraying with the insecticide naled as proposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC Warns Pregnant Women of Threat of Zika in Miami