In February, state health officials confirmed the first case of the Zika virus in MI.
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Puerto Rico has recorded 10,690 Zika cases, including those of 1,035 pregnant women, prompting the declaration of a public health emergency in the commonweath by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Jane Glaser, executive director for Campbell County Public Health, said the woman was developing symptoms of the infection and admitted herself after returning from a trip.
Zika often causes no symptoms, but is particularly risky for pregnant women because it can lead to the birth defect microcephaly, in which infants are born with unusually small heads and deformed brains.
“We now know the molecular pathway, so we made the first big step toward target therapy for Zika-induced microcephaly”, corresponding author Jae Jung said in a university news release.
The actual number of people infected with Zika in Puerto Rico is likely higher, officials said Friday, because most people with a Zika infection have no symptoms and might not seek testing. In April, Obama transferred $510 million in unspent funds earmarked for the Ebola outbreak to the fight against Zika.
University Health Network infectious diseases specialist Isaac Bogoch said the full range of health issues related to Zika still isn’t clear, and doctors will be closely watching babies who have been infected to see if cognitive problems emerge as they grow.
Earlier this month, the first cases of locally acquired Zika infection were confirmed in the Miami-area Wynwood neighborhood. Glaser was not able to confirm where the woman had been traveling.
Researchers say they’ve identified two proteins in the Zika virus linked to the severe birth defect microcephaly.
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Federal health officials have been forced to take $81 million in funds from various government programs, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Administration for Children and Families, in order to avoid delaying research on Zika vaccines, according to a letter from U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
