Those infected with Zika often are asymptomatic, which O’Rourke said can lead to unintentional transmission through sexual contact, blood transfusions or in utero. Those traveling overseas can help reduce the risks of getting the virus by taking effective mosquito repellent along. Zika was found initially in Africa and infections have spread from Africa to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.
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Several countries affected by the Zika outbreak, including El Salvador, have issued similar warnings to their residents. The person who contracted Zika is a female.
West Nile symptoms include fever, headache, body ache, and sometimes a rash.
In Missouri, there is now a total of 4 cases of Zika from people who traveled out of the country.
Zika is primarily transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but research shows it can also be transmitted sexually – and possibly through saliva from kissing or sharing cutlery. Zika can be transmitted around the time of conception or birth.
Scientists are trying to establish whether infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy causes microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and an underdeveloped brain. Other problems, such as eye diseases, have been detected among fetuses and infants infected with Zika. As far as we know, breastfeeding is safe for women with Zika.
Jamaica announced this week that it will require Zika tests for all pregnant women.
The health department will be spraying the surrounding area Thursday and Friday night, weather permitting. The development of a vaccine is well underway, and we hope it will be available before the end of the year. If your child has any of these symptoms or if someone in its proximity has traveled to Central or South America recently, medical professionals advise that you seek testing. This is all the more reason to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Lander recommends that people fix broken screens on windows, doors, porches and patios to keep mosquitos out of the house.
It’s hard to imagine the frail mosquitoes surviving the intense heat purportedly heading our way, but they do – in places like standing water in buckets, cans and pool covers.
Two: Create a barrier between you and the mosquitoes.
To avoid mosquito bites, the CDC recommends wearing EPA-registered insect repellent with DEET while outdoors, as well as long trousers and long sleeves.
Plus, when outside, use insect repellent (with your sunscreen, of course). It’s possible that the Zika virus could be spread by a man infected with Zika to his partner. It appears to encourage health care providers in all affected countries to follow suit. The other was found in a male MA resident who was visiting Missouri.
Together, we can stay knowledgeable about the Zika virus disease and prevent its spread throughout Florida by following advice on the CDC website, listening to the news and reading our newspaper. “Basically, these kits provide information on how to protect yourself from mosquitoes and how to do mosquito control”.
Washington Clark Hill, M.D., FACOG, a resident of Sarasota, is an obstetrician/gynecologist, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist, and past chief of staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
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Officials from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services have been in contact with their counterparts in MA.
