Health officials in IL said Thursday that 46 people were confirmed as having the Zika virus across the state – three pregnant women among those. “The risk is mainly if they travel to an area where there are infected mosquitoes or if they have sexual contact with somebody who has traveled”, said state epidemiologist Dr.
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Health officials said the California Department of Public Health is actively monitoring all pregnant women with Zika infection in California.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1,825 cases of Zika virus have been reported in the United States, including 18 in Kentucky.
“It was something we were not hoping for, but it was something we knew could likely happen”, says Jason Britt from the Tulare County Department of Public Health. There is no evidence that mosquitoes are transmitting the virus in the state, health officials said. The CDC has warned pregnant women not to travel to infected areas.
Health officials declined to release additional details about the cases, citing patient privacy.
They’re stepping up efforts to try stop the mosquitoes that carry the virus.
As of July 29, there had been 114 cases of Zika registered in 22 counties in California, all of them linked with travel to zones affected by the virus. Symptoms usually last between several days and a week.
Florida yesterday began aerial spraying to kill mosquitoes in a Miami neighborhood with the first USA spread of the Zika virus.
Recently in Miami, Florida it was discovered that mosquitos within the state had transmitted the Zika virus.
The CDC has concluded that a Zika infection in pregnant mothers can lead to microcephaly and other birth defects.
A travel advisory for pregnant women to a one square mile area in Miami, however, still stands.
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The Florida Department of Health reported the new case today, bringing the total number of people infected in the outbreak to 16.
