Laboratory results confirm the first travel-associated case of Zika in the Brazos County; health authorities have been and continue to investigate the presence of Zika transmitting mosquitoes in the area.
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The Louisiana Department of Health is reporting five new cases of the Zika virus. “Additionally, they should abstain from sex or use condoms if their partner has traveled to one of these areas”, Person said.
The number of cases in DE now is 10, with a Sussex County woman and a New Castle County man testing positive for the virus after an infected mosquito bit them during travel overseas.
Close to 50 countries have reported cases with local mosquito transmission.
The virus can be spread from a pregnant woman to her fetus and has been linked to microcephaly and other birth defects in babies of mothers who had Zika virus while pregnant.
Zika also has been implicated in miscarriages and diseases like Guillain-Barre, the health district said.
According to guidelines from the CDC, all pregnant women should use barrier methods, such as condoms or dental dams, if they have sex with a partner who has traveled to or resides in an area affected by the Zika virus.
Humans get the virus through bites from infected mosquitoes, but once they become infected they can spread it through sexual contact. Common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes.
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“The same precautions apply at home, and people should also make sure their house is mosquito-proof by ensuring their windows and doors have intact screens and that there is no standing water around their home, especially in small containers”.
