Zika seldom causes serious illness.
Advertisement
The Zika virus usually results in mild symptoms, including fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, according to the CDC.
In an opinion article published on LifeSite News, the National Catholic Bioethics Center said the threats posed by the Zika virus infection, especially to pregnant mothers and their babies, still do not justify contraceptive use.
Nearly all cases of Zika are transmitted by mosquito bites, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, and only a small number of sexually transmitted cases have been recorded. “I’ve never seen the like in my career”. The recommendation also extends to pregnant womens partners who must travel to the Brazil Olympics, advising them to use condoms throughout the pregnancy after their return.
In a statement, CDC warns pregnant women against traveling to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil out of Zika outbreak concerns. Providers should consult CDC’s guidelines for evaluation and testing of pregnant women, available on the CDC website.
The CDC is now investigating possible cases of sexual transmission of the virus after clues emerged that the virus can survive in the semen of an infected man. Screening for zika is not easy as most infected adults do not show symptoms.
The group further said that the Catholic Church should still value the “beauty of the means of transmitting life through marital relations” even with the threat of the Zika virus.
Pregnant women are recommended to consider not going to the event, or to talk to their physician if they find the need to go. If they choose to go, they should take steps to avoid any contact with mosquitoes.
Advertisement
However, the virus has also been associated with a rise of microcephaly birth defect cases. Public health investigators are continuing their efforts to answer this question. The virus, which has been linked to congenital defects in babies born to infected pregnant women, was found in a couple in the Paris area, according to media reports. Public health investigators are working hard to determine whether Zika actually causes this condition.
