“Based on what we know so far about this case, there is no evidence that there is any risk of Zika virus transmission among the general public in Utah”, said Dr. Angela Dunn, deputy state epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health. Microcephaly is a neurological disorder that results in babies born with abnormally small heads, causing severe developmental issues and sometimes death.
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Of biggest concern are the 43 Florida women who are pregnant and have caught the virus. The patient has documented recent worldwide travel to Nicaragua, a country with active Zika transmission.
Zika can be hard to diagnose in part because only one in five infected people show symptoms, which include fever, joint pain, rash and red eyes lasting seven to 10 days. It is also reported that the virus is spread by sexual transmission. Nearly all of the patients were infected while traveling in a Zika-infected area.
The first case of the virus in Florida was discovered in June, involving a mother who traveled to Haiti. “At that point, you should consider taking every precaution”. “We’ve had a couple of people who were going to go to Central or South America on vacation, and we talked about the importance of maintaining good birth control during that time period”, Patton said.
The main type of mosquito that spreads the disease was spotted once near the southern Utah city of St. George in 2013, said Ary Faraji, manager of the Salt Lake City mosquito abatement district.
A new case of Zika virus infection associated with a very high Zika viral load has renewed attention to Zika transmission, according to the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on mosquito-borne diseases.
CBS4’s Tiani Jones met up with one of the leading experts on the Zika virus who says this particular case is alarming because it not only doesn’t appear to be travel related but it doesn’t appear to be sexually transmitted either.
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Condoms or abstinence are also recommended to reduce the risk of infection by people traveling to or living in places where Zika is circulating.
