Matthew Aliota, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin who was was part of the team that first detected Zika in Colombia, said the virus could be in an “inter-epidemic period” and that cases could surge again at some point. World Health Organization estimates 3 million to 4 million people across the Americas will be infected with the virus in the next year.
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The mother, who was not identified, had traveled earlier this year to South America, where she contracted Zika. Pregnant women who are infected run the risk of delivering babies born with the birth defect microcephaly.
The virus is most often spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but there is increasing concern about other means of transmission after it was revealed it could be spread by a more common mosquito.
The CDC also pointed out that “new information has indicated that some infected pregnant women can have evidence of Zika virus in their blood for longer than the previously recommended seven-day window”.
There will be an uptick of cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies, in September and October, Ruiz said, when pregnant women infected during the peak of the epidemic will give birth.
The Zika virus epidemic in Colombia – which has seen more infections than any country other than Brazil – is over, health officials there said Monday.
Couples should abstain or wear condoms for eight weeks if either partner has traveled to a country with a Zika outbreak, regardless of whether they have symptoms. Zika can also spread from a pregnant woman to her baby.
The virus, for which there is no cure or vaccine, was first discovered in Uganda in 1947, and took the world by surprise when it emerged with such virulence, in Latin America a year ago.
Meanwhile, authorities in Colombia have declared an end to the Zika epidemic in the South American nation, the second-hardest hit in the region from the virus. Majority suffer from rashes, joint pain and high fever.
Zika typically only produces mild symptoms in infected healthy adults, though there have been reports of it causing Guillain-Barre syndrome. however, it can damage the development of babies in the womb.
There’s no known way to protect an infected fetus, so the CDC says it’s vital for women to avoid being both pregnant and infected with Zika if at all possible.
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“Expanding the use of the Zika-specific test could provide more women with Zika virus infection a definite diagnosis and help direct medical evaluation and care”, CDC said.
