Health Commissioner Says Zika Virus Not a Threat to Public

The biggest risk appears to be to pregnant women, due to a link between the virus and the birth defect microcephaly – which causes babies to be born with small heads and under-developed brains.

The country has 462 confirmed cases of microcephaly, and is investigating another 3,852 suspected cases, the BBC reported.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff led a nationwide campaign Saturday asking all Brazilians to check their homes for standing water and the mosquito that carries Zika virus, just six months before Rio de Janeiro will host the summer Olympics.

Some studies suggest that the virus can be transmitted to humans through blood transfusion and sexual transmission.

According to the BBC, the exercise is aimed at boosting morale.

Public health officials expect to see cases in the United States because so many people travel to Latin America, where the virus has spread with alarming speed.

Image: A Brazilian Army soldier distributes pamphlets with information to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito during the National Day of Mobilization Zika Zero at Central train station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 13, 2016. According to a recent health bulletin, there are 31,555 cases of Zika in Colombia, and 5,013 of those infected are pregnant women. The Venezuelan government has also yet to release a statement on the conditions of pregnant women in the light of the Zika outbreak.

Like our Facebook Page to get more wonderful content from us. Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are examining the link between Zika and birth defects.

The new case was reported in Broward County.

Similar to dengue fever, the Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through mosquito bites, and common symptoms include fever frequently accompanied by a maculopapular rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, as well as headaches, muscle pain or retro-orbital pain.

There are now no vaccines or treatment for the virus, though research institutes and pharmaceutical companies are working on several possibilities.