Microcephaly is a birth defect in which a baby’s head is smaller than expected, and scientists are still working to establish a conclusive link between the virus and microcephaly and other neurological disorders.
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The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency in response to the outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which is linked to brain deformities in newborns.
Troops will hand out 4m leaflets advising people about the risks of the virus, carried by mosquitoes.
The scare over Zika has been heightened by warnings from the Pan American Health Organization that in a few cases the virus could have been sexually transmitted.
The new report describes the case of a 68-year-old British man who traveled to the Pacific islands in 2014, when an outbreak of Zika virus was occuring there.
David Ige, governor of the islands, said that the proclamation was “a preventative measure” as there have been no cases of the virus being transmitted in the state so far.
For this year, they are forecasting 600,000 Zika cases overall and about 500 cases of microcephaly.
Brazil is trying hard to combat the virus since it could affect the upcoming Summer Olympics which will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
The institute said 29.4 percent of pregnant women with Zika live in Norte de Santander province, along the eastern border with Venezuela. Rather, researchers reported finding “replication-competent Zika virus isolated from semen at least two weeks and possibly up to 10 weeks after illness onset”, according to the CDC.
Miami-Dade County is still reporting the highest number of Zika cases, seven, all of which have been travel-associated.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re not pregnant: about one in five bitten by a Zika-infected mosquito, will develop the disease, and the symptoms will likely be mild: fever, rash, joint pain and/or red eyes.
“It is beyond her competence to say that”, Archbishop Oscar Cruz said. The man tested negative for dengue fever and chikungunya virus, but positive for Zika virus.
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According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Preventions, GBS symptoms include muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. Local media reported what they said was the first abortion in the country because of Zika last week.
