The report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that if a woman is infected with Zika during pregnancy, the result can indeed be microcephaly and other congenital problems in the babies of those women.
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Among evidence that clinched the case was that signs of the Zika virus, which is spread primarily through mosquito bites and can also be transmitted through sex, have been found in the brain tissue, spinal fluid and amniotic fluid of microcephaly babies.
Because of birth defects, the CDC recommends pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant postpone travel to Central America, the Caribbean and South America.
The World Health Organization made similar statements recently and an official applauded the CDC report. They often only last for a few days. Almost all of Florida’s cases were acquired by people traveling outside the country, except for one case of sexual transmission in Polk County.
On Monday, US health officials warned the Zika outbreak could have more of an effect on the United States and called for additional funding to combat the virus.
Frieden said that “no single piece of evidence” proved that the virus causes birth defects.
“This study marks a turning point in the Zika outbreak”. Men who travel to such an area should use condoms for 6 months.
What is the Zika virus?
While now it is proven that Zika virus could be sexually transmitted from one person to another, CDC has advised pregnant women not to have unprotected sex with their partners that are suspected to have contracted the infection. The fifth patient who tested positive for the virus in Dallas County was also an Irving resident, officials confirmed two weeks ago.
The first two cases of birth defects associated with the Zika virus have been confirmed in Colombia, health authorities announced Thursday.
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“Establishing this causal relationship between Zika and fetal brain defects is an important step in driving additional prevention efforts, focusing research activities, and reinforcing the need for direct communication about the risks of Zika”, said the CDC. The work of the Inserm and confirm that this virus can be transmitted through sex.
