The Zika virus is unlikely to spread to Arizona by way of the Mexican border, a Maricopa County health official said Monday.
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This is the city’s first Zika case. She was not hospitalized and is recovering without complications. 26, 2015, the USA government said Zika infections have been confirmed in nine pregnant women in the United States.
Zika outbreaks are occurring in many countries throughout Central America, South America and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The patient was tested because she recently traveled to Colombia, and had symptoms consistent with the Zika virus. Its possible connection to microcephaly, a serious birth defect, has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a travel advisory urging pregnant women to avoid any unnecessary travel to infected areas.
“If you live in Philadelphia and you’re not going to travel to any of these areas, there’s really no risk”, Dr. Kathleen Squires, director of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Division of Infectious Diseases explained to PhillyVoice. It also can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and from a mother to a fetus.
Symptoms including fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis can last from several days to weeks and there is no vaccine to prevent or treat an infection.
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent, in accord with the manufacturer’s directions.
There are now no Zika cases in Arizona, but Sunenshine said the state is prepared.
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“Today’s announcement of the first known Zika case in Philadelphia underscores the need for Congress to come together to approve the emergency preparedness and response funding necessary for our nation to address the outbreak and protect those most at risk”, he said.
