There’s a new case of travel-related Zika in Seminole County, according to the state health department. The other two Zika cases were confirmed on April 27 and April 29 respectively, from two brothers who had travelled to the Philippines together.
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There are fears the Gulf Coast could become ground zero for a mosquito-borne Zika epidemic. The mosquitoes that carry Zika bite during the day and night.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito, carrier of the Zika virus. “Local mosquito transmission means that mosquitoes in the area are infected with Zika virus and are spreading it to people”.
Almost 500 people have been infected with the virus in the United States but all of them were infected overseas or infected by someone who had traveled overseas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In December 2015, Puerto Rico became the first USA territory to report local transmission of the Zika virus, which has been associated with serious health conditions including microcephaly and a temporary paralysis known as Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Of those, 36 were pregnant women and eight were sexually transmitted.
And, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued first-time guidance, saying couples trying to conceive should abstain or wear condoms for six months if the male has confirmed or suspected Zika.
CDC officials say that for the Zika virus to turn up in this country, a mosquito would have to be exposed to the virus by biting an infected person who contracted it while traveling.
Upon learning about the Zika outbreak, the researchers chose to try adapting their device to diagnose Zika, which has spread to other parts of South and North America since the outbreak began in Brazil. While the virus has been around for decades in Africa and parts of Asia, it has more recently spread to other regions.
The woman tested positive for Zika virus during a polymerase chain reaction test.
“This patient was symptomatic”, said Dr. Matt Richardson, Denton County director of public health.
Spain has recorded its first case of a fetus developing the microcephaly birth defect after a pregnant woman became infected with the Zika virus, health authorities said late on Thursday.
The birth defect is marked by babies born with brain abnormalities and undersized heads.
“Wear long-sleeve shirts and trousers if you are going to be in contact with mosquitoes”, said Malloy.
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Meanwhile, PAHO said publishers of medical textbooks are rewriting their chapters on arboviruses to take account of the surprises the Zika virus outbreak in the Americas brought into the world.
