Rick Scott declared a state of emergency Wednesday in the four counties where people have been diagnosed with the Zika virus.
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The health department of Campinas, an industrial city near Sao Paulo, said a man with gunshot wounds became infected with Zika after multiple blood transfusions in April 2015.
Spain has confirmed that a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus – the first such case in Europe. “If you are pregnant and thinking of travelling to a place with Zika spreading… don’t”. “The best defense against Zika virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses is to protect yourself from being bitten and eliminate breeding grounds”. The Executive Order also says that special attention for mosquito sprays shall be paid to residential areas, as CDC guidance indicates that backpack mosquito spray measures may be most effective.
About one in five people infected with Zika will get sick, with the most common symptoms being fever, rash, joint pain or red eyes, according to the state Department of Health.
As Brazil is this year’s Olympic Games host in Rio de Janeiro, fear of the virus dominated talks at a recent Olympic committee hearing, according to The New York Times.
“This virus, which only recently arrived in Brazil and Latin America, no longer is a distant nightmare but a real threat to all Brazilians’ homes”, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said said in a nationally televised address. If the virus affects more people in the United States in the upcoming months, avoiding unprotected sexual contact between any new partners could protect one’s future children from microcephaly.
“Today I am directing Surgeon General Dr. John Armstrong to declare a public health emergency in the four counties that have individuals with the Zika virus”, Governor Scott began in a statement.
Miami-Dade health inspectors spent Thursday spreading awareness about Zika, along with mosquito prevention crews, who are also stepping up their efforts.
“If there are less mosquitoes to bite returning travelers, you’re less likely to see local transmission in Florida”, Adalja says.
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The organizing committee for the Rio Olympics – set to start in August – said it is anxious about the spread of the virus, after health officials warned pregnant woman to stay away. Microcephaly, a birth defect where the skull stops growing, results in brain damage in infants and is a result of Zika.
