US and United Nations officials told AP that Brazil probably shared fewer than 20 samples when experts say hundreds or thousands of samples are needed to track the virus’ evolution and develop accurate diagnostics, drugs and vaccines. Yanity said babies with microcephaly, which is an incurable and lifelong condition, often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly.
Advertisement
Additionally, couples where a male partner who has traveled to an area with Zika transmission “may consider using condoms consistently and correctly during sex or abstaining from sexual activity”, if they are concerned about sexual transmission of the Zika virus.
“Zika virus symptoms may include low-grade fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis”, said Ruppert. But there are things that people can do to lower their risk of contracting the virus, including rigorously protecting against mosquito bites, which are the usual mode of Zika transmission, and following the new guidelines to prevent sexual transmission, Frieden said.
Meg Davis, Abbeville Area Medical Center marketing director, said the hospital has received a CDC advisory from DHEC with information of how to recognize, manage and report Zika.
In the US, Florida Governor Rick Scott said the state has three new cases of Zika and he is adding a fifth county to his health emergency declaration.
The ministry also said the number of cases of Zika so far do not pose a serious risk of an epidemic spreading throughout the country.
The World Health Organization voiced concern on Wednesday over the reported transmission of the Zika virus in Texas by sexual contact, as such infections could make efforts to combat the virus linked to severe birth defects in Brazil even tougher. All travelers are advised to use insect repellent and take other precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
The victims in Colombia died of complications after being infected with Zika and then developing a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Scott said he wanted to get 1,000 tests from the CDC that test for antibodies for the Zika virus, so that any pregnant women who were in Zika-affected countries can get tested to see if they were actually infected.
Advertisement
All pregnant women who traveled to regions affected by the virus are now eligible for free testing regardless of whether they’re exhibiting symptoms, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office announced Thursday.
