Infection during pregnancy could result in microcephaly and other brain malformations in babies.
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The new funding “will enable these local areas to participate in these important activities in coordination with state efforts”, according to a CDC news release. Mosquitoes travel just a small radius-not more than 150 meters-during their short lifespans, so the positive tests allow officials to create a detailed map of Zika risks.
But new data reveals the most definitive link between the conditions. Houston can count on about $400,000 and Los Angeles County, $720,000, the CDC said. Besides, four in five Zika-infected persons do not show any symptoms of the virus, Khor said.
To date, Zika has infected 72 countries and territories. “But in other countries where it might enter at some time, that might not be the case”.
Zika experts have stated that the virus’ risk of spreading is at its highest over the summer months when people are traveling between America and other parts of the world.
However, since 2007, the virus has moved eastward, across the Pacific Ocean, into the Americas, hitting Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela and the United States.
At a news conference in Geneva, the head of WHO’s health emergency programme, Peter Salama, said: “We don’t have any confirmed cases of Zika amongst travellers or amongst indeed athletes”. They used the spread of a related virus, dengue, as a model for Zika since the same mosquito species transmits both diseases.
There is not now a vaccine for Zika virus.
Despite that assessment, the illness remains a “public health emergency of worldwide concern”, Salama said.
Of the three Zika-positive mosquitoes, officials said that one came from traps at the botanical garden.
Ben Neuman, a virology professor at the University of Reading, said that once the virus has started to spread by mosquitoes locally, and not just by travelers, it can become entrenched in animals as well as people and be extremely hard to eradicate.
As of August 26, the CDC had made more than $193 million in funds available to fight the virus.
Subramaniam said the virus was believed to be imported from Singapore because the woman started experiencing symptoms on the same day as her daughter.
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The CDC has sent about $35 million to Florida and much of that has been spent, Frieden said.
