US health officials have come up with an exception to their travel warnings for the Zika virus: altitude. As of March 9, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported five travel-related Zika virus infections in North Carolina. No other details were provided.
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But, for most other people the virus offers little threat – approximately 80 percent of people who become infected never experience symptoms.
The woman resides in Aichi Prefecture, in central Japan, and is a foreign national, the ministry said, stating that the case was confirmed after she had complained of rashes, a fever and joint pains to her local physician.
Since mid-January, the health agency has advised pregnant women to avoid travel to areas with Zika outbreaks because the virus may be linked to a surge of birth defects in Brazil. The person subsequently developed an illness consistent with Zika virus infection and was tested per guidance from CDC and KDHE.
Meanwhile, at Temple University Hospital, doctors say they’re urging pregnant women to be careful.
If you have a male partner who lives in or has traveled to an area where Zika transmission is ongoing, either use condoms the right way every time, or do not have sex during your pregnancy. “This includes being knowledgeable about where the virus is spreading, consulting with a healthcare provider, and, most importantly, following public health’s recommendations to avoid mosquito bites”.
Pregnant women can be infected with Zika virus in any trimester and there have been increased cases of microcephaly possibly associated with Zika virus infections.
Cases of the Zika virus disease have been confirmed in 15 Caribbean nations, Mexico and throughout the Americas. The individual is an adult from southwest Kansas and has travel history to a country with local Zika virus transmission.
Not only were South African mosquitoes incapable of spreading the virus, but tight surveillance of port entries made it nearly impossible for the Zika vector to be imported into the country, he said. A study published last week by researchers from Brazil and UCLA found that the fetuses of 29% of women who tested positive for Zika had “grave outcomes”, including fetal death.
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There is no vaccine to prevent infection and no specific antiviral treatment for Zika. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
