Scientists say that the Zika virus, carried by mosquitoes, appears to cause the condition in fetuses born to mothers who have been infected.
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The guidelines came after a Dallas resident was infected by having sex with a person who had contracted the disease while traveling in Venezuela.
Before the current outbreak, the Zika virus had been reported previously in French Polynesia, the Pacific Islands and south Asia, according to ABC News.
Dr Tom Frieden, head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), was testifying before politicians in Washington.
Trudie Lang, director of the Global Health Network, said the response to Zika – even more so than in the case of Ebola – was being hamstrung by the many unknowns.
“While public health and medical professionals have a good body of knowledge about many mosquito-borne diseases, there is still much to learn about Zika virus disease”, Health Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehner said in a statement. “She had mild symptoms, which rapidly resolved, like is the case for most individuals who had the Zika virus”, said Rattay.
“A sports mega-event like the Olympic Games puts further stress and strain on the economic, political, and social issues, including what is happening with infrastructure and health care system, that Brazil is dealing with already”, Igel said in the article.
Australian health authorities announced on Thursday that a pregnant woman in Queensland state has tested positive for Zika virus.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, so combating the outbreak is focused on eradicating mosquito populations and preventing mosquito bites. Brazil’s health minister says the country will mobilize some 220,000 troops to battle the mosquito blamed for spreading a virus linked to birth defects. In that case, the virus is believed to have been transmitted via sexual contact from an infected traveler to a partner.
The Obama administration has asked Congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight Zika.
U.S. women’s football team goalkeeper Hope Solo would consider boycotting the Rio Olympics over Zika fears.
“We’re still learning a lot more about what’s going on”, she said.
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Data needs to be shared as quickly as possible, she said, “to address all these questions concurrently”.
