Two infants have been born in California with Zika-related microcephaly, the state Department of Public Health reported Thursday.
Advertisement
There is an uptick in the number of Zika cases in the US and University of Nebraska Medical Center’s infectious diseases expert Dr. Mark Rupp says there have been about 15 and 20 cases reported in people in southern Florida who have not traveled to South or Central America.
“This is a sobering reminder, however, for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus”, she said.
The San Francisco Health Department has confirmed two new Zika virus cases in the city of San Francisco Friday afternoon.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) handout file image showing a transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of the Zika virus.
“Summer is in full swing and we continue to read reports of pregnant women exposed to the Zika virus”, Brown said.
Taylor Bertschy, said doctors typically ask pregnant patients several questions Zika-related questions if they’ve been to a Zika-infected area.
Babies born to Zika-infected mothers will be followed for up to a year. There are no known Zika-infected mosquitoes in Kentucky. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. There is now no vaccine or treatment for Zika other than supportive care, rest, fluids and fever relief. However, ZIka can cause babies to be born with microcephaly, where the infant’s skull and brain are unusually small. Those planning travel to areas with Zika outbreaks have been urged to take precautions including the use of insect repellant, installing window and door screens, wearing long sleeves and trousers, and emptying containers that hold standing water. Dr. Frieden says they believe the aerial spraying can reach the bugs in places truck or hand spraying can’t.
The CDC recommends pregnant women avoid traveling to Zika-affected areas which include countries ranging from Mexico into the Caribbean, Central American and South America.
Advertisement
Dr. Heather Morrison advises woman who are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant should not travel to southern Florida.
