Puerto Rico has reported almost 2,000 new Zika virus cases in the past week, causing the Obama administration to declare a public health emergency in the U.S. territory. According to a statement released by HHS, the ongoing spread of the virus is putting public health in severe danger in the Commonwealth, especially for pregnant women and the children to be born to these women.
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Galveston County health officials have confirmed a third case of the Zika virus.
The statistic shows that Zika virus, which can cause birth defects if it infects pregnant women, is spreading across Latin America and the Caribbean, including the USA territory of Puerto Rico. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warned that the actual number of infections from the mosquito-borne virus could be much higher. In July, the USA reported its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the southern state of Florida.
The Caribbean island has reported 1,914 new cases of the disease in the last week, and there are said to be 10,690 cases there altogether.
Health authorities say those who recently traveled to an area where Zika virus transmission is occurring, and are pregnant or experiencing illness and have questions about getting tested, should talk with your healthcare provider and be sure to tell them where you traveled. The only local transmission of the virus within the continental United States has been in a neighborhood in Miami.
Since then, more locally transmitted cases have been reported taking the total to 14.
The number of people reported to have Zika infections in the USA more than doubled in the past six weeks – from 935 as of June 29 to 1,962 – and tripled in US territories from 2,026 to 6,618, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
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. All Texas cases are related to travel overseas to areas with active Zika transmission.
As is the case with MI, there have been no cases of Zika virus transmitted through mosquitoes in Ohio.
It was the second important step to fight Zika that the federal government has taken in as many days.
Zika is commonly transmitted by mosquito bites, but it also can be spread through sexual contact.
Zika can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by abnormally small head size and developmental problems in babies.
Secretary Burwell declared the public health emergency under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act.
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“I’m glad the Obama Administration finally heeded the common-sense requests from me and other members of Congress to reallocate existing funds to Zika research and response”, said Donovan. In the unfortunate scenario of a Zika-affected pregnancy, women and their families should have the ability to exercise their constitutional right to have a safe, legal abortion.
