But Zika’s links to miscarriage haven’t been clear. Thirteen American women have had babies with Zika-related birth defects. “Perhaps there is another reason for the epidemic in Brazil”, the NECSI said.
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For most people, Zika virus isn’t a big health threat. She recovered after six days.
The first suspected local case was announced in Miami-Dade on July 19, and the second in Broward on July 21.
Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, as well as sex.
The Zika virus has hit the headlines in recent months because of the upcoming Rio Olympics and the decision of some athletes to pull out of the Games.
If these cases prove to be non-travel related, it will likely mean that an infection was caused by local mosquitoes. The state is now tracking 53 pregnant women who were confirmed to have the virus.
First, we need to reduce mosquito breeding areas. Although timing pregnancy to match the mosquito low season might be hard to implement, it’s better than telling women not to get pregnant for years until there’s a vaccine. Seven other women have miscarried or terminated pregnancies because of Zika, including one in Puerto Rico.
To verify if Zika is being passed on locally, epidemiologists must survey homes with an infection and neighbors within a 150-yard radius, the range of the mosquitoes that transport the virus. He is believed to have traveled to an area active with Zika recently.
They also stressed extreme caution for travelers to the Games who have pregnant partners at home and recommended that men and women with pregnant partners refrain from unprotected sexual contact for the duration of the pregnancy upon returning. “Reliable diagnostic criteria for the identification of cases of microcephaly are also still required”. However, Zika may be making inroads into the United States. Angela Dunn, an epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health, said the son hadn’t traveled to an area outside the US where mosquitoes are known to spread the virus, and he hadn’t had sexual contact with an infected person.
Officials say the preliminary results are positive but they are waiting on the confirmatory results.
For blood collection establishments outside of this region, FDA suggests that donors who have traveled to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties during the previous four weeks be deferred.
Testing for Zika virus (File picture).
The CDC said it has provided $2 million for Zika preparedness and another $5.6 million was just allotted, the newspaper reported. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.
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Those new cases in the Commonwealth this week bring the total number reported in Virginia to 50 total.
