Patients also should immediately alert the National Blood Centre, its regional offices or blood donation service points at hospitals.
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Mosquito spraying to prevent Zika spread in Vietnam.
So now investigators are looking to see how the caregiver got the virus while taking care of his elderly family member who had an unusually high amount of the virus.
As more studies are being conducted on the effects of the mosquito-borne virus, researchers learn that adults can also experience unwanted health effects because of Zika infection such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a sickness of the nervous system.
The sudden spike in one of the cleanest countries in the ASEAN region has raised concerns of possible spread to its densely populated neighbors although local transmission of Zika by the Aedes aegypti mosquito has been reported in Indonesia and Thailand. Also, returning travelers should immediately contact their health care providers if at any point they feel they may have Zika virus.
The two new patients, none of whom were pregnant, were among the 12 residents in a village in Iloilo City earlier checked by health authorities because they lived near the house of the 45-year-old woman earlier confirmed to have been infected by the Zika virus, according to Ubial. Pregnant women are urged to postpone any unnecessary travels.
“The consistent and correct use of condoms is essential to prevent sexually transmitted infection, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and unwanted pregnancy”, according to the World Health Organization recommendations. So far there have been 117 confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months. Those who do contract the virus are encouraged to refrain from sexual contact for six months or practice safe sex.
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light a year ago in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly.
The Zika virus usually causes mild illness.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, the patient was bitten by a mosquito in Vietnam on September 5 and later revealed symptoms including skin rashes, high fever, muscle and joint pain, and headaches before traveling to Japan. Although many will not develop any symptoms at all, others may also suffer from conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, and feel exhausted.
Nearly 80 percent of people infected with the virus will have no symptoms.
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For advice on mosquito control, contact the Mosquito Research and Control Unit on 949-2557.
