Masood said there was no vaccine so far to prevent Zika. Yet there are still more questions than answers over the effects it could have.
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How do people become infected?
A health worker fumigates as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, at the cemetery of Presbitero Maestro in Lima, Peru, February 12, 2016.
How do you treat Zika infection?
There is now no cure or vaccine for Zika.
“It’s a process that can take months”, Whitaker said, without providing details on the financial cost of sending the U.S. scientists. Researchers have also reported that traces of Zika virus can be found in infected patients’ urine and saliva, as well as blood and semen.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that three people had died of complications linked to Zika virus and that suspected cases of Zika had risen to 5221.
Brazil’s health minister insisted on Friday that authorities were “absolutely sure” Zika was connected to microcephaly, though it has yet to be scientifically proven. Researchers don’t know how the virus made the jump, but two theories suggest it may have arrived with tourists visiting the country for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament or for an worldwide canoeing competition the same year.
None of the Florida cases involves pregnant women, who are considered to be at greatest risk because of a suspected link between Zika virus and microcephaly, a birth defect. Reportedly, Zika virus leads to new borns being born with abnormal heads, condition known as microcephaly. No evidence of other genetic abnormalities were discovered as the viral genomic RNA was quite similar to other Zika virus samples.
What are the symptoms of Zika infection?
Some of the most common symptoms are fever, headaches, joint pain, rash and conjunctivitis, but doctors say for now, the best treatment is rest, fluids and over-the-counter medicine for fever and pain relief.
According to Brazil’s government, about 220,000 members of the armed forces accompanied by community health agents and mosquito control teams were deployed Saturday to help educate the population on how to eliminate mosquito breeding areas in and around their homes.
A test to more easily diagnose the Zika virus could be available within weeks, not years, the World Health Organization said Friday. Brazil has been the nation most affected. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and the Western Pacific.
Can Zika be transmitted through sexual contact?
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Studies of pregnant Latin American women who are confirmed as having had the Zika virus and due to deliver their babies soon should yield evidence, Kieny said, adding data also was being collected from studies in French Polynesia and Cape Verde.
