So far there have been no cases of Zika passed by mosquitoes in the continental United States, said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell on Wednesday.
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He said the agency is learning more about Zika every day, including the possibility of transmission of the virus from mothers to babies and links to a potentially serious birth defect called microcephaly, although that link has not yet been definitively proven.
Officials say pregnant women, and those who want to become pregnant, should protect themselves from mosquitoes by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long trousers; staying indoors where window and door screens keep out mosquitoes; using an EPA-registered insect repellent; treating clothing and gear with permethrin; and sleeping under a mosquito net if overseas or outside. The World Health Organization declared the rapidly spreading virus a public health emergency, reflecting the concern internationally.
“Zika is new, and new diseases can be scary, particularly when they can affect the most vulnerable among us”, Frieden said during a hearing with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. No mosquitoes in Texas have been found carrying the Zika virus, but the virus has been brought back to the state by several people who visited areas where it is more common.
The CDC head said that women who are already in the regions he mentioned should take precautions against mosquitoes, which is the main way the disease is transmitted.
Hong Kong Secretary for Food and Health Ko Wing-man told reporters the department was seeking details of the man’s travel history from the mainland authorities because he had transited through the city.
A12. Some infants w. possible Zika virus infection have had intracranial calcifications & abnormal eye findings. US health officials Friday also said the men might consider abstaining or using condoms even during sex with a woman who isn’t pregnant.
Thailand and Indonesia have reported one case each, but health experts have warned some Asian nations are vulnerable to a Zika outbreak. Rattay said the strains of mosquitoes that carry the virus in Central and South America are not in DE, and she doubts mosquitoes native to DE will be a problem.
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A child born with microcephaly has a head smaller than normal.
