The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising pregnant women or those considering becoming pregnant to avoid travel to places with Zika outbreaks.
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The Union Health Ministry has chose to operationalise 10 more diagnostic facilities by end of this month to counter any possible outbreak from the Zika virus, reports a national daily.
Researchers predict Southern states, along the Gulf Coast, in particular, could be affected because of the presence of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, an aggressive mosquito that has spread most cases of Zika. He says Kentuckians should not be concerned about becoming infected.
Earlier this week President Barack Obama announced he would ask Congress for $1.8 billion to help combat the virus, which is primarily spread when an infected mosquito bites a person.
The new guidelines suggest pregnant women residing in areas with ongoing Zika transmission be tested at the beginning of prenatal care, even if not showing symptoms, according to territorial epidemiologist Esther Ellis.
Some funding would also go to other nations greatly affected by the virus to improve their mosquito and transmission controls. The ornery insects are carrying around a new disease called Zika virus. It is believed to be the first time health officials have directly blamed the mosquito-borne disease for causing fatalities. But when they do, symptoms include fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, red eyes and headache and can last from several days to a week.
No case of Zika has so far been reported in the Gulf Co-operation Council countries. But since its arrival in Brazil last May, there has been a 30-fold increase in reported cases of microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with unusually small heads and, often, brain damage.
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) on Monday refuted an “inaccurate” report that it had advised American athletes to reconsider competing in the Rio Games because of concern about the Zika.
“It is important for community members to consider the implications of traveling to countries where the Zika virus is spreading rapidly and they could contract the disease”, she said.
· Follow all precautions to avoid mosquito bites (see below for more specific guidance).
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Travelers 60 years or older are less likely than young travelers to cancel their travel plans because of fear over the Zika virus, according to a survey released Monday.
