For that reason, the risk to Canadians is “very low”, although becoming infected during travel is possible, said Greg Taylor, Canada’s chief public health officer.
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On the heels of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statement that the Zika virus was “spreading explosively,” the Centre said it has constituted a special, technical group to monitor the spread of Zika in other countries.
Travelers at Sky Harbor Airport planning trips to countries where the Zika virus has been reported are anxious about the growing number of cases.
Ms Mani said the ministry was aware of peer reviewed articles from Brazil regarding Zika-associated/induced microcephaly.
Chan said that while a direct causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth malformations has not yet been established, it is “strongly suspected”.
The disease is not believed to spread via human contact and the mosquitoes believed to carry it are not found in NY.
Reuters quoted Marcos Espinal, head of communicable diseases at the WHO-affiliated Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), as saying that between three and four million people could contract Zika in the Americas.
Castrodale said one group that doesn’t need to worry about travel in Zika infested regions are women who aren’t pregnant now but wish to become pregnant in the future. The most common symptoms of Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain, or pink eye.
The virus is transmitted through mosquitoes, and once a prenant woman is infected, it can spread to her fetus. That’s a geographic area that includes most of South and Central America as well as the Caribbean.
Boston Health officials say you really can’t really catch it from someone else.
Tompkins says about 80 percent of those who get infected with the Zika virus don’t even realize they’re infected.
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Experts say most people don’t experience severe symptoms when dealing with the virus.
