Since the first reports of Zika virus infection in Brazil in early 2015, its rapid spread has resulted in an estimated 1·5 million cases with 4 million predicted across the continent by the end of the year, and the declaration by the World Health Organisation of a ‘public health emergency of worldwide concern’.
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Richard Beigi, chief medical officer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Magee-Womens Hospital, said Friday’s CDC report reinforces fears that many pregnant woman already have about the virus but does not provide clear answers.
The CDC also warned that pregnant women who have a male partner who goes to the Olympics may be at risk of sexual transmission of Zika.
Health officials are not saying which counties the OR cases were diagnosed in, nor are they revealing the patients’ genders OR whether OR not they’re pregnant, which officials say is to protect patients’ privacy.
Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland are working to come up with DNA-based vaccines against the Zika virus.
“The Zika outbreak in Brazil is dynamic”, states the CDC warning, which covers both pregnant women and those who are actively trying to conceive. Even though the numbers are small, they are of considerable interest. When they do occur, they are generally mild and include fever, a bumpy, red rash, joint pain and eye redness.
Two of the pregnancies with the virus, which is suspected of causing severe birth defects, have ended in miscarriage, two more were aborted, and one baby was born with severe microcephaly.
Although cases of the Zika virus have historically been limited to tropical regions, an increase of cases in the US suggests that the virus could increasingly pose a threat elsewhere. “It raises a thousand concerns”, she said. “We wait and rely on the science”.
In the nine United States cases, Zika virus infection during pregnancy was associated with a range of outcomes. Apart from microcephaly, the infection is also connected to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition that compromises the immune system. It can lead to paralysis and death. “Anyone who visited countries impacted by this virus should consult with their health care professionals, and remain alert for possible symptoms”. “None of those diseases have a import for destiny generations that this one does, during slightest that we consider it does”, she said.
The CDC’s recommendations for travel to the Olympics are in line with its current guidance to travelers considering a trip to the myriad countries where Zika is present.
“Until I know more, I don’t feel like I can make a really informative decision”, she said in an interview on CBS’ “This Morning” program. The Zika MAC-ELISA detects antibodies four days to 12 weeks after the initial symptoms.
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At this point, the CDC says males concerned about the potential for transmission should avoid unprotected sex, but it does not provide a time limit. “The good news is this virus spreads through the bite of a type of mosquito we don’t have in Washington state, so it is very unlikely that this virus would spread widely here”. Two women had abortions. However, the growing belief that Zika can also trigger microcephaly in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant has spread global alarm.
