Professor Frederic Bartumeus believes the European Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is capable of transmitting the disease as well following a study of how the virus is spread in Gabon in 2007. This covers Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough, and Santa Rosa counties.
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Health officials now say four more people in Dallas County possibly may have been infected with the Zika virus, in addition to the two cases confirmed this week.
Now, in the wake of the Dallas case, “we’re all kind of scrambling in the scientific community how best to tackle this and how best to research it”, said Foy. Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue.
The WHO declared a global health emergency on Monday, citing a “strongly suspected” causal relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can cause permanent brain damage in newborns.
Florida now has 12 confirmed cases of Zika Virus, according to health officials. If that happens, the chief medical officer for America’s Blood Centers said testing donor blood for the presence of Zika virus would be considered.
Mr. Scott’s directive gives the Health Department additional power in coordinating a response to Zika and directs the state’s environmental unit to cooperate with the Agricultural Department in coming with a mosquito control plan.
Since Brazil reported the first cases of local transmission of the virus in May 2015, it has spread to 26 countries and territories in the Americas, the World Health Organization said.
It is unclear whether in pregnant women the virus crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly.
The only difference, Dr Young noted, was Zika patients often showed very mild symptoms, making cases harder to detect.
Two cases of possible person-to-person sexual transmission have been described, but the PAHO said more evidence is needed to confirm whether sexual contact is a means of Zika transmission. This aspect obviously has increased the likelihood of a pandemic, many many fold, as people return from traveling in Central and South America.
Health officials also recommend people avoid traveling to the countries affected by the virus.
That’s exactly what Gov. Rick Scott said he’s doing to help contain the virus that’s made its way to the Sunshine State.
Drugmakers globally are racing to produce a vaccine for Zika, but producing a safe vaccine is strewn with hurdles and full regulatory approval could take years.
The virus can have far more harmful effects on women who are infected while pregnant. They’ve also issued new recommendations to travelers who have recently visited areas where a Zika outbreak has taken place.
World health leaders call the Zika virus an worldwide emergency.
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“I’ve never seen this advice before, and when you hear it, you think, ‘What are the bishops going to do?'” said the Rev. John Paris, who is a priest at Boston College.
