“The finding may be important for women, not only pregnant women”, she said.
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In other recent Zika news, experts have wondered if the virus might sometimes be transmitted through blood transfusions, and a cluster of infections in Brazil seems to support that notion.
The Rio 2016 organizing committee is anxious about the rapid spread of the Zika virus in Brazil, but has not yet seen evidence of people canceling travel to the Olympics in August, communications director Mario Andrada said on Tuesday.
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people infected with Zika rarely need to go to the hospital and few die.
There are more than 170 confirmed Zika virus cases in California.
The article said the virus is linked to microcephaly, which can result in babies being born with smaller than normal heads and abnormally developed brains.
US officials said they don’t expect to see a Zika epidemic in the United States similar to those in Latin America.
The biggest threat is Zika poses is to pregnant women. And, another question is, does it stay in the semen of men who were symptomatic, or does it also stay in the semen of men who never had symptoms.
Zika can also be transmitted sexually.
“It wasn’t clear at first whether mosquito densities were high enough to sustain an outbreak in the U.S.”, Dr. Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions, said in a university statement.
He said anyone who has contracted Zika should take precautions to avoid passing it on.
Levin said it is likely a Zika vaccine will be developed in the next two to four years.
State health leaders are trying to raise public awareness of Zika virus after a person tested positive for the virus this week in Bulloch County.
The CDC advises pregnant women not to travel to an area where active Zika transmission is ongoing, and to use insect repellent and wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts if they are in those areas. Insect repellents should not be used on children younger than 2 months old. The health office also suggested people make sure they have tight-fitting screens on their doors and windows.
“We’re hoping that people will look around their home and look for any standing water, especially after all the rains we’ve had lately”, he explained.
According to the Public Health Department, if someone has concerns about their own risk for infection, they should contact their primary care provider. “Eighteen countries and territories have reported an increased incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and/or laboratory confirmation of a Zika virus infection among GBS cases”, the group said.
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“We will nearly certainly see more imported cases of Zika in our county”, he said, But, “since we do not have the mosquito vector in our (area) at this time, it is not likely that we will see cases that were acquired in our county”.
