Symptoms include a fever, rash, joint pain, red eyes and sometimes muscle pain and headaches.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many who contract the virus, which is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, don’t know they have symptoms. All 116 cases of Zika were confirmed by lab tests at the CDC.
The virus is spread through the Aedes mosquito, Sillitti said. Zika is strongly suspected of causing microcephaly among newborn infants, a rare birth defect that is characterized by an abnormally tiny head and brain damage.
DOH Deputy Secretary Lynn Gallagher said, “We have been working closely with CDC to prepare for Zika cases in New Mexico”.
The CDC learned the virus can be sexually transmitted by infected men for an unknown amount of time and she said, “That’s a real concern for women, particularly who are thinking of become pregnant”. To date, Zika virus has not been confirmed in any state resident.
People are more vulnerable to mosquito bites if they live in non-air conditioned houses, or have torn or missing screens that admit mosquitoes more easily, the researchers noted in the news release.
The kit will allow doctors to determine in a single test whether a person is infected with Zika, dengue or chikungunya, the CDC said, whereas existing methods require three separate tests.
The virus was caught while traveling to Venezuela and Haiti.
Mosquito abatement is also important and the health department is working with cities and towns to place larvicide traps throughout the county, Jeffers said. Eliminating breeding spots and controlling mosquito populations can help prevent the spread of the virus.
The species of mosquito known to carry Zika, the Aedes aegypti, does not live in NY.
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The investigators also analyzed travel patterns to the United States from countries and territories with Zika outbreaks. New Hampshire, Massachusetts and CT are the only New England states that have reported cases. WDH staff members are now advising Wyoming residents and healthcare providers who may have questions about the need for Zika virus testing in specific cases.
