In the past 48 hours, U.S. health officials have declared a public health state of emergency in Puerto Rico where the number of Zika virus infections have doubled to more than 10,000 in the past three months.
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Request the temporary reassignment of local public health department or agency personnel who are funded through Public Health Service Act programs in Puerto Rico to assist in the Zika response. The Caribbean island and USA territory has reported 10,690 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika, including 1,035 pregnant women.
The declaration of health emergency will give authority to Puerto Rico for the utilization of additional federal resources instrumental in combating the epidemic.
Puerto Rico has confirmed more than 10,690 cases, including more than a thousand in pregnant women, of Zika virus through mosquito bite.
For most Americans, the dreaded Zika virus seems like a far off problem that only really causes problems for people in South and Central America, or for people who have visited locations – and even then, it only seems like a problem for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant. Among U.S. states and territories, Puerto Rico is expected to see the worst of the outbreak due to its tropical climate and a lack of infrastructure for mosquito control. It also can also be spread by sex, prompting public health officials to advise that people who have been infected refrain from unprotected sex for several months. Yet, new information that has been discovered by health care professionals has women needing to be educated on the possibility of the virus being transmitted sexually.
In light of the potential health risks associated with pregnancy and Zika, special emphasis will be placed on the importance of prevention of the infection in pregnant women.
Florida’s Department of Health (Florida Health) reported three new cases of non-travel-related Zika today, including one outside the 1-square-mile “hot zone” in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami.
The virus continues to spread in various regions across the world. Microcephaly is a birth defect where a child is born with an abnormally small brain and skull.
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.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the first case of locally transmitted Zika virus in Miami was in a pregnant woman.
Meanwhile, the US Government has declared a Zika virus emergency.
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In addition to Zika, Puerto Rico is grappling with a $70 billion debt. Some public health funds have been reprogrammed, but Republican lawmakers have accused the Obama administration of slow-walking that money.
