The virus can also be spread by sex, prompting public health officials to advise that people who have been infected refrain from unprotected sex for several months. Zika has been shown to cause birth defects, including microcephaly, which causes severe developmental problems.
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Health minister Dr Christopher Tufton, in a statement today, said that these community meetings will provide updates on Zika and give residents the opportunity to get more clarification on any issue related to the virus as we move to reinforce the need for individual responsibility.
Initial human testing on a potential Zika vaccine began August 3, and the transfer will fund the work necessary to prepare for the critical safety and effectiveness testing known as a phase II trial. The only local transmission of the virus so far reported in the continental United States has been in South Florida. While the virus generally causes mild symptoms in adults – and only about 20 percent even have symptoms at all – Zika’s connection to a host of different congenital birth defects makes it particularly unsafe for women who are pregnant or wish to become pregnant.
“We are well aware of the importance of determining if there are mosquitoes that have the ability to transmit the Zika virus in our community, and we are implementing steps to identify them if they are in our community”, said Monroe County Health Officer Kim Comerzan.
Taking money from other research programs “is extremely damaging to the biomedical research enterprise”, he said.
President Barack Obama had asked Congress back in February for $1.9 billion to help fight Zika but lawmakers haven’t been able to agree on a spending plan.
The WHO did not say where the mother contracted the infection.
Zika was first detected past year in Brazil, where it has taken its heaviest toll so far, and has spread rapidly through Latin America and the Caribbean. Many infected people will not experience any symptoms.
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. Partners of pregnant women are advised to use a condom to guard against sexual transmission during pregnancy.
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For couples planning a family, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends men who’ve traveled to a Zika-afflicted region wait to have unprotected sex for at least eight weeks after the man returns, regardless of whether he is symptomatic.
