Marcelo Addas Carvalho, director of the Blood Center at the Sao Paulo state University of Campinas, said on Thursday genetic testing confirmed that a man who received a blood transfusion using blood from a donor with Zika in March a year ago became infected with the virus, although the patient did not develop symptoms.
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“The science is not clear on how long the risk should be avoided”.
Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday that there’s no evidence Zika has caused any cases of the birth defect known as microcephaly in his country, though it has diagnosed 3,177 pregnant women with the virus.
Two Nebraska women who recently traveled to Zika-affected countries have been infected with the virus.
Zika, which is spreading through the Americas, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains.
The UK government is also to provide another £1 million to fund research into the nature of the Zika virus.
On Monday, the World Health Organization declared the explosive spread of Zika virus to be a global emergency, as it is suspected of being responsible for an increase in congenital defects, even though definitive scientific proof has not been obtained. The virus was deemed active, meaning that it was able to cause infection, but the scientists stressed that it was too early to say whether Zika could be transmitted by either fluid.
“Based on what we know now, CDC is issuing interim recommendations to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus”.
JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/Getty Images The virus’ illness is generally mild and 4 out of 5 people infected with Zika don’t realize it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release new guidelines regarding the spread of Zika virus. If he is showing symptoms, Public Health England says, his partner should avoid pregnancy for six months after his recovery. Baker thinks she contracted the virus in November while on a mission trip in Guatemala.
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The state has also set up a Zika information line – 888-364-4723 – to offer more information about the virus.
