“We have put in place a first-in-the-nation action plan that will work to eliminate Zika at its source, reduce potential transmissions and safeguard expectant mothers against this risky disease”.
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According to the CDC, there are nearly 260 travel-related Zika cases in the USA, six of which were contracted sexually.
So far, Zika has triggered outbreaks in 41 countries, although confirmed cases linking Zika to babies with birth defects have only been seen in Brazil and French Polynesia.
“This patient is the first Zika virus-infected patient in South Korea”. Brazil is the epicentre of the Zika epidemic which has affected several countries and regions in the Americas.
The government in February, after WHO’s emergency call on Zika virus, made a decision to retest old blood samples stored at the IEDCR for any trace of the virus.
Zika virus has also been found in other bodily fluids including saliva and urine, but it is unknown whether the virus can spread through these routes. Its most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.
Zika cannot be spread among people through casual contact such as shaking hands and hugging, but it can be transmitted through sexual contact.
According to a report in Post-Gazette by Ana Swanson, “The CDC recommended that pregnant women avoid traveling to Cuba, adding it to a long list of countries and territories listed in earlier advisories”. Cases of sexual transmission from travelers to their sexual partners have been reported in the United States and Europe. Doctors have made these diagnoses – a total of 863 confirmed cases – by analyzing a computer tomography (CT) scan of the infants’ brains.
“The problem with the asymptomatic patients is that they could transfer and transmit the Zika virus without knowing, because they don’t know that they’re sick”.
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“Recently in Brazil, local health authorities have observed an increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome, which coincided with Zika virus infections in the general public, as well as an increase in babies born with microcephaly in northeast Brazil”. However, there is growing evidence that suggests a link to both disorders. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week. “We will also check his wife in order to prevent any further infection”.
