Women in Latin America and the Caribbean have been told to avoid pregnancy for two years following the outbreak of a virus that causes severe birth defects.
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That’s because the virus, which is transmitted by the Aedes Mosquito, can cause women to pass it to their babies, causing birth defects.
On Jan. 15, the CDC issued a travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) for people traveling to regions and certain countries where Zika virus transmission is ongoing: the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a USA territory; Brazil; Colombia; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Haiti; Honduras; Martinique; Mexico; Panama; Paraguay; Suriname; and Venezuela.
Experts in Brazil are also looking for a possible link. Recently, the virus spread to this region of the globe. The condition is characterized by infants having unusually small heads and is often accompanied by neurological disorders.
It has spread quickly through large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean affecting 21 nations so far.
On Wednesday, the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly or abnormally small heads since October had reached almost 4,000. “Because there is no treatment for Zika virus at this time, women should be counseled about all options available to them”.
CDC has already developed guidelines for American health providers regarding appropriate care for pregnant women in the face of Zika virus outbreak. In those that do, the worst of it involves fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes – which usually lasts no more than a week.
The New York State Department of Health announced on its website late Friday that three people in the state had tested positive for the Zika virus.
Within nine months of the first case being confirmed in the northeast of Brazil in May 2015, most Brazilian states had reported locally-acquired cases.
The World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization warned in a report on Monday that they had found multiple cases across the globe where people were reported to have the syndrome shortly after contracting the Zika virus. “In response, health authorities in several countries, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Jamaica, have asked women to voluntarily consider delaying their pregnancies”.
Since it’s not clear if the virus even causes microcephaly, it’s not at all clear what the risks are to a pregnant woman or her baby.
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Dr Frieden said: ‘There’s a lot we don’t know’.
