“How does this affect my unborn child?” said Dr. Garcia. “For us scientists, it’s extremely challenging to understand Zika virus”.
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A case of Zika has been confirmed in Central Florida, according to health officials.
Many Latin American countries outlaw abortion or allow it only if the mother’s life is in danger.
The Aedes aegipty is the vector that transmits the Zika virus, and also dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya.
Besides the Texas case, there are only two other scientific reports related to possible sexual transmission of Zika, the CDC said. Other infections and conditions can lead to the syndrome.
Santos says Zika apparently has affected more than 25,600 Colombians overall.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for their part urged people to use condoms or abstain from having sex if they live in or have travelled to Zika-infected areas.
The health agency also on Friday updated its guidelines for testing and monitoring pregnant women who have traveled to Zika areas.
Zika, it’s important to point out, causes relatively mild symptoms, and for most people it’s nothing to worry about.
The UN human rights office said the countries now urging women to hold off getting pregnant over Zika fears – a list that comprises Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica – had to offer them the possibility of controlling their fertility. The CDC previously noted that pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the virus.
“This is not a generalized public health measure, for the love of God”, he added.
Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday the state is preparing like it would for a hurricane and wants residents and tourists to know Florida is safe. “Don’t kiss, obviously”, said Paulo Gadelha, head of the Fiocruz institute in Rio de Janeiro.
He said that calls for special precaution to be taken with pregnant women. In a statement Friday to The Associated Press, the health ministry said that it’s sending a set of Zika samples to US health authorities. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women.
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The ongoing outbreak of Zika infections, which has been linked to more than 4,000 suspected cases of a birth defect in Brazil, started in Brazil’s Northeast and has since spread and been locally transmitted in more than 30 countries, according to the World Health Organization. He called for laws restricting access to sexual and reproductive health services to be urgently reviewed.
