Colombia and Venezuela are both reporting a jump in cases of a rare, sometimes paralyzing syndrome that may be linked to the Zika virus.
Advertisement
“The real problem is that trying to develop a vaccine that would have to be tested on pregnant women is a practical and ethical nightmare”, said Mike Turner, head of infection and immuno-biology at the Wellcome Trust.
The mosquito-borne illness has spread to 22 countries in the Americas.
Brazil is seeing a wave of such birth defects. The mosquito that carries Zika isn’t typically in our area, but another type that could carry the virus is.
Dr. Barnes said her clinic has not yet treated any patients with Zika.
The Centers for Disease Control is warning pregnant women not to travel to countries where the Zika virus has been spreading.
The main effort of the prevention efforts was to prevent the reproduction of Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit dengue fever and the Zika virus to humans, Andi said.
Dozens of Zika cases have been reported in the USA, all in people who traveled outside the country.
Update (2:19 p.m.): The Canadian Blood Services has confirmed they will be “revising their eligibility criteria for donors to mitigate the risk of the Zika virus entering Canadian blood supply”. The mosquito is a vector for the proliferation of the Zika virus now spreading throughout Latin America.
The Zika virus was first discovered in Africa in 1947, but until previous year, when it was found in Brazil, it had never been a threat in the Western Hemisphere.
Experts say most people don’t experience severe symptoms when dealing with the virus.
With more than 6000 cases registered in this country alone, the virus is particularly risky to pregnant women, as it could cause devastating birth defects in infants.
Advertisement
Cases have already been diagnosed in the USA, including six cases in Southeast Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The mosquitoes that carry the virus are active during the daytime – and symptoms are typically a fever, rash or headache.
