The Zika virus causes a mosquito-borne illness that includes a rash, fever and joint pain, and the flu-like symptoms generally last about a week, but the virus isn’t life-threatening, according to the CDC. But there’s only been one reported case in our region, and that was in a returning traveler. It’s unknown if the people tested have the virus, and their results from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could be available by next week.
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Meanwhile, Colombian authorities have ordered hospitals to prepare, as the government expects more than 600,000 people to become infected with the virus.
Virologists say there is now no cure for or vaccine against Zika and developing such a vaccine will surely take a long time. A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established, but is strongly suspected.
The World Health Organization says the Zika virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas and could reach 4 million cases in the next year.
“Zika virus can not be transmitted through casual contact”, said Dr. Loren K. Robinson of the state Department of Health, who said there are no confirmed cases in the state.
The virus has been linked to thousands of cases of babies being born in Brazil with microcephaly – meaning they have abnormally small heads and brains that have not developed properly.
Tam notes the risk of sexual transmission of Zika is considered low, but adds more information is needed.
Air Canada, WestJet, and other airlines have implemented a new refund policies for pregnant women heading to Central and South America. If you are traveling to an area with infected mosquitoes, you should try to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes.
What should I do if I’m pregnant and just returned from an area where outbreaks have occurred?
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Dr. Kurt Barnhart, chair of the Pennsylvania section of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the virus isn’t to be taken lightly, but isn’t as serious as many fear.
