Severe microcephaly can involve brain damage.
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State health officials said they are working with other agencies to, “ensure that California is responding aggressively and appropriately to the emerging threat of Zika virus”. “This award will ensure that OH can identify Zika-affected babies and connect their families with the health services they need”.
“This is a sobering reminder for Californians that Zika can cause serious harm to a developing fetus”, Smith said. “We’ve said that anybody that is in this impacted area the one mile square radius north of downtown needs to be tested, go to the county health department and get tested for free”.
“We are participating in the CDC birth registry to follow patients who may have been exposed to Zika while pregnant”, Chan said. No cases have been found in Santa Barbara or Ventura counties. There are 5,525 locally acquired cases in Puerto Rico, American Samoa and U.S. Virgin Islands.
All of the cases are people who contracted the virus after traveling to Zika-affected areas, which include the Caribbean, South America and a neighborhood in Miami, Florida.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed a total of 13 babies nationwide were born with Zika-related defects.
Another mosquito, Aedes Albopictus, may carry the virus, but is rare in our area.
Zika virus can be spread through bites from mosquitos as well as through sexual activity.
Governor Robert Bentley on Friday announced that he has approved the use of emergency funds to support the state’s efforts against the Zika Virus.
There is no Zika vaccine yet, but researchers said they are making progress.
With the state’s tourist industry facing a potential hit since the state reported 15 cases of Zika virus, apparently caused by bites from Wynwood mosquitoes, Scott has been trying to show he’s not alarmed by the outbreak.
In California, Los Angeles and San Diego counties far outpace other counties in the number of people with Zika.
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The same is true for the four confirmed Zika cases in Collier County and the lone case in Charlotte County.
