Several autopsies performed on babies with microcephaly have shown the presence of the Zika virus, he said.
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The first confirmed case of the Zika virus has been identified in Iowa. The World Health Organization estimates close to four-million people across the Americas will be infected with the virus in the next year.
Most people who contract the infection have no symptoms, but some experience fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes.
The mosquito is endemic to tropical regions, and is already transmitting Zika in at least 36 countries worldwide – 28 of them in the Americas – and Aylward said there were indications that the virus was spreading in six additional countries.
WHO and USA health authorities have recommended that pregnant women postpone traveling to infected areas and their partners use condoms or abstain from sex if they live in or have visited Zika-affected areas.
The ministry says anyone who has travelled to countries affected by the virus should speak with their health-care provider, who can advise them on the need for testing.
A case of Zika virus being sexually transmitted was recently reported in the U.S. however the South African Health Department insisted that this was considered extremely rare.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it would convene an International Health Regulations emergency committee on the Zika virus to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.(Xinhua/Kent Gilbert) (jp) (sp)At the moment the SA National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is busy conducting confirmatory tests, according to the minister.
On January 15, 2016, the Public Health Agency of Canada issued a Public Health Notice and a Travel Health Notice concerning Zika virus following confirmed travel-related cases of Zika virus infection in Canada originating from Central and South America.
While the primary mosquitoes that carry Zika virus are not believed to be widespread in North Carolina, individuals are always encouraged, as a routine precaution, to take steps to prevent mosquito bites. Women who are trying to become pregnant should talk to their doctors about the risk of Zika virus infection before traveling. “However, Iowans traveling to areas where there is ongoing Zika virus transmission should take care to protect themselves from mosquito bites”.
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Zika virus can be spread from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby.
