Since 2014, cases of Zika virus, which is thought to be linked with severe birth defects, have been reported in various American countries, and the cases quickly increased in recent months.
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“Not everyone who’s infected is symptomatic”.
“Zika virus is acquired through the bite of an infected mosquito”.
Hospitalisation is very low and the World Health Organisation says, till now no deaths from Zika have been reported.
The Virginia case was confirmed via laboratory testing provided through the CDC in an adult resident of Virginia who recently traveled to a country where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, the Virginia Department of Health said.
Health officials have worked to raise public awareness about ways to prevent infections, including by using insect repellents and wearing protective clothing.
Meanwhile, Colombian authorities have ordered hospitals to prepare, as the government expects more than 600,000 people to become infected with the virus. “Everything that I’ve read so far has been that its contracted specifically through the mosquitoes so as long as my mom doesn’t bite me, I think that were ok”.
“The leaders agreed on the importance of collaborative efforts to deepen our knowledge, advance research, and accelerate work to develop better vaccines and other technologies to control the virus”, the White House said after Obama’s phone call.
Health Canada, for its part, is urging pregnant travelers to avoid Zika-prone areas.
Loren Robinson, deputy secretary for health promotion and disease prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said pregnant women should take caution when planning a vacation.
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause fever, rash, muscle and joint aches and pinkeye.
The CDC is asking pregnant women who have not been vaccinated against the virus to stay away from high-risk zones.
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Aedes mosquitoes are not found in Hong Kong, but the secretary said other species of mosquito present in the territory are also considered as possible carriers of the disease.
