“It is recommended that pregnant women simply do not travel to areas where there is ongoing transmission of Zika virus”.
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“We will continue working closely with our federal, state and local partners to ensure consistent reporting of potential cases and unity of effort in reducing the virus’ impact on local communities”, the statement said. How does this relate to the mosquitoes we have in NZ and their distribution?
But the state’s health officer, Tom Miller, says it’s “very likely” Alabama will have local transmission of the virus through mosquitoes similar to what Florida is experiencing. The majority of cases are travel-related, meaning individuals acquired the disease outside the country and later came to Florida.
The governor said more than 2,400 have been tested statewide and more than 140 people have been tested in the past three days in the impacted area of Wynwood, an area known for art galleries and hip shops and restaurants.
Researchers have found a link between the Zika virus in pregnant women and microcephaly, a birth defect which causes babies to be born with abnormally small brains and skulls.
On Wednesday, Florida said it would provide Zika testing to pregnant women at county health departments at no cost, and make available additional lab services to handle “the expected increase in tests being administered”.
That’s at least in part because, for partisan reasons, federal funding has been stalled in Congress for months.
While pregnant women are being advised to postpone non-essential travel to disease hotspots, the NHS stresses that for “most people it is a very mild infection and isn’t harmful”.
Store Manager Christopher Straub at the Ace Hardware on Old Shell Road says they sell most of their mosquito products in the spring and early summer.
Brazil said it had confirmed more than 580 cases of microcephaly and considered majority to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.
“In those trays we can see pupae and larvae”, said Dr. Renaud Lacroix of Oxitec, the British biotechnology company breeding the mosquitos. “That’s why we take it so seriously”. Is it different in pregnant women?
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Frieden said he was impressed “with how intensive” the state and Miami-Dade’s efforts have been in response to the outbreak. Mosquito eradication is also taking place on bases.
