The Department of Health confirmed that a “person who recently travelled to a Zika-affected country” has been diagnosed with Zika, which represents the second confirmed imported [travel-related] case of Zika virus in Bermuda. No vaccine exists to provide protection against the mosquito-borne virus.
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The second case of imported Zika virus has been reported by the Department of Health.
Use an EPA-approved insect repellent every time you go outside, and follow label instructions.
· Take steps to control mosquitoes outside your home by removing standing water reservoirs.
Wear long-sleeves and trousers or permethrin-treated clothes. Because sexual transmission of Zika has also been documented, persons can reduce the risk of transmission by using condoms or abstaining from sex.
Use air conditioning or make sure doors and windows are screened to keep mosquitoes outside.
Georgia Southern University Student Health Services announced an individual in Bulloch County tested positive for Zika virus.
At that time, 14 locally acquired cases in Florida were the only locally acquired cases in the states. In the latest issue of mBio, the researchers reported that the cloned virus replicated successfully in multiple cell lines, including placental and brain cells – tissue particularly vulnerable to damage from Zika. The mosquitoes that could transmit Zika usually bite during the day.
The announcement comes nearly a week after the ministry confirmed the first case of a person being infected with the virus after travelling to a Zika affected country. Common symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).
“The healthcare provider may order testing based on an evaluation of a patient’s symptoms and likelihood of encountering the virus”. There is no preventive vaccine for Zika virus.
Medicaid started covering the cost of bug spray in Virginia Monday for pregnant women as well as for men and women of child-bearing age to help combat the Zika virus, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
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The Ministry said they “will regularly update statistics about travel-related cases on www.gov.bm/zika-virus as they arise”.
