“This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak”.
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There have been 346 confirmed cases of Zika in the continental United States, according to the CDC, all associated with travel. Sixteen cases have been determined as unrelated to Zika, while the other 15 are still under review. However, it is not established clearly that the infection spreads from semen, any bodily fluid, say pre-ejaculate or saliva from the infected person could be responsible for the transmission of Zika virus infection. “But there is no longer any doubt that Zika causes microcephaly“. “We’ve been expecting to see travel-related cases of Zika, and expect there will be more”.
Mr Frieden said the CDC is now launching more studies to find out if microcephaly is just the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of brain damage and other development problems.
Lots of people get souvenirs from their vacations – but there’s something MI doesn’t want travelers to bring back: the Zika virus. On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there’s enough evidence now to declare that the Zika virus during the mother’s pregnancy causes the microcephaly birth defect and other brain abnormalities. However, not all women who are infected with Zika will have babies with these problems, the statement noted. Zika may also be linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis for a few weeks to several months.
Dr. Buddy Creech, an associate professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said other viruses, including herpes and rubella, are known to cause ocular birth defects in infants.
The patient was an adult who traveled to a Zika-affected area before developing symptoms.
The virus is spread primarily through mosquito bites but can also be transmitted through sex.
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The CDC has discouraged pregnant women from travelling to places where the Zika virus is spreading, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Local doctors still aren’t sure, though, whether the women were infected after they became pregnant or before.
