Although no mosquitos in LA County are now carrying the Zika virus, the infection can still spread if someone who has Zika is bitten by a “local mosquito”.
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These types of mosquitos are tiny black and white and very aggressive and they can also transmit other diseases like chikungunya virus and dengue virus.
Laredo has its first Zika case, the Health Department confirmed Wednesday morning.
Patient A, as he is known in the CDC’s report, did not have sex with an infected person, nor did he travel to a region where Zika is circulating.
There have been 117 confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the United Kingdom since the outbreak a year ago. They said they also detected vision problems and Zika virus genetic material in the eyes, liver and kidneys. He contracted Zika while traveling.
“I don’t think we know the answer to that right now”, he said.
“Because of the mosquito breeding sites that tested positive, apparently there is still a need to heighten alert on vector control in the area”, she said, adding that the two new cases were among the 12 people tested for Zika in the community.
As of September 7, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,920 cases of Zika virus disease this year in the US, and 99 percent of these cases were travel-associated, while 43 were locally acquired cases from Florida.
Zika infection is characterized by fever lasting for two to seven days, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis. The virus causes only a mild illness in most people. “People should continue to take the appropriate steps to prevent Zika virus infection – especially pregnant women and healthcare workers who are caring for severely ill patients with the disease”.
According to the World Health Organization, there is scientific consensus that the Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly in infants, a birth defect characterized by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems, and Guillain-Barré syndrome – a neurological disorder that could lead to paralysis and death.
Currently, the Health Ministry is offering free testing to pregnant women with Zika symptoms or whose male partners are Zika-positive, as long as a doctor recommends that it is necessary.
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NEA along with the Ministry of Health will be providing daily updates via NEA’s website and the members of the public can obtain updated information on Zika and details on current existing clusters from there.
