With summer barely a week old, Northern Kentucky public health officials announced Friday that a Boone County man is the area’s first resident to come down with Zika virus after he visited an area where the illness has been found.
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Dr. Robert Ball, a health professor at the College of Charleston and at the Medical University of SC, said earlier this week that numbers are expected to rise and will be based on how frequently US citizens travel to areas where Zika is widespread, such as Puerto Rico and countries in South America.
“Zika virus is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes”, said Lynne M. Saddler, MD, MPH, District Director of Health.
Ten people in Dallas County have Zika, and 10 pregnant women have “possible infection” with the virus, health officials said Thursday. While the primary mosquito that can carry Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, is only found in small numbers in the Lowcountry, another possible carrier, Aedes albopictus, is more common. Brazilian officials still say they believe there’s a sharp increase in cases of microcephaly and strongly suspect the Zika virus, which first appeared in the country previous year, is to blame.
The Zika-fighting antibodies were taken from people who had been infected with dengue.
The results of a large study of pregnant Colombian women infected with Zika show that of the almost 12,000 pregnant women with clinical symptoms of Zika infections until March 28, no cases of microcephaly were reported as of May 2. As Digital Journal pointed out in a February story, microcephaly is a birth defect that can have a number of causes, from being congenital, caused by malnutrition, certain infections during pregnancy, interruption of the blood supply to the baby’s brain during development, or exposure to harmful substances, such as alcohol, certain drugs, or toxic chemicals. A total of 40 pregnant women statewide have also been affected by the virus.
Both Fonseca and Furtado believe that Zika may cause eye problems – both conjunctivitis and the more severe uveitis – because the virus affects the central nervous system.
“The women became pregnant during the second half of 2015”. However, just because Zika-carrying mosquitoes can inhabit a certain area, this does not ensure that the virus will follow.
Federal officials have advised local officials to monitor any pregnant woman who may have Zika throughout her pregnancy, and after the child is born, Perkins said.
Take steps to avoid bug bites by using insect repellent, staying indoors and wearing long-sleeved shirts and trousers when possible.
The number of Zika cases is on the rise in our area with 31 between Georgia and SC since February.
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Mosquito-proof your home. Use screens on windows and doors. “This includes garbage cans, house gutters, pool covers, flower pots, toys and anywhere rain or sparkler water has collected”. They put 16 insect repellents to the test to see which ones are the most effective. Remove all standing water from your property.
