Dr. Gregory Taylor says there have been four recent cases in Canada – two in BC, one in Alberta, and a newly disclosed case in Quebec – all of them involving people who recently travelled to affected areas.
Advertisement
Philpott emphasized that there have been no locally transmitted cases of Zika in Canada. The Health Ministry of Peru held fumigation campaigns to prevent the spreading Zika virus, according to local press. “The only thing we can do is fight the mosquito”, she told reporters during a visit to a command center for the Zika crisis.
The CDC recommends pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to the areas where the Zika virus transmission is ongoing.
Metro Health officials added that the six had traveled to a variety of South American countries, and none of them are pregnant.
In rare cases, pregnant women who contract the virus can pass it onto their fetuses, which can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, characterized by a small head and brain.
There are urgent concerns about Zika virus infection and pregnant women.
“If the circumstances indicated that we would need to ramp up that surveillance we could do that very quickly because we are already doing very similar work with West Nile virus”, said Brown.
“Quebecers who travel to countries where the virus and mosquitoes are present may be exposed and develop symptoms of infection when they return home”, Arruda explained.
Zika is not now found in the United States, health officials said, but has been reported in those bringing the virus back from other countries. “It is likely that there are other cases that were not reported”.
Advertisement
Researchers believe there is a link between the Zika virus and microcephaly, but say it is also possible that there is an error in record-keeping. Disease control experts will conduct risk evaluations, prepare for virus-control plans, and help medical workers to become better prepared.
