The woman has recovered and there is no danger to the public, according to Oregon Health Authority spokesman Jonathan Modie. Lehigh University said the same day one of its students who had traveled overseas over winter break contracted the virus.
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Officials in China said a 34-year-old man was diagnosed with the virus after he returned from Venezuela on January 28 and reported a fever, headache and dizziness, according to Xinhua news agency, citing health officials. Even though the mosquito is not prevalent in this area, health officials say it is likely we will see more cases as people travel to other areas where the virus is on the rise. Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and redness of the eyes.
On Monday, health officials confirmed that two Pennsylvania women tested positive for Zika.
The federal government advised women who were pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant not to travel to countries were the disease was being transmitted. Generally a mild illness, Zika is known to spread primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito.
An epidemic of Zika virus has been happening in Brazil since April 2015.
The CDC is warning pregnant women to protect their babies by avoiding travel to South America, Central America and Caribbean countries such as Puerto Rico, where the virus is spreading fast. “I haven’t been too anxious cause I know the mosquito isn’t really prevalent in this area, it can’t survive in the cold”, said Kelsey Alpaio, graduate student. Cases of transmission through blood transfusions and sexual contact have been reported, as have cases of transmission from mother to child.
The Centers for Disease Control has identified the Zika virus in the tissue of two babies who died in Brazil from microcephaly – the strongest link yet between the virus and the birth defect that has stricken developing fetuses, the CDC director told a House panel Wednesday.
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The announcement has many people on edge, including Marie Gungui, of Lewes, who is preparing to go to Mexico later this week. “We will continue to provide updated Zika guidance to health care professionals across the commonwealth to ensure they are aware of the symptoms associated with the disease and the protocols that should be followed to ensure testing of potentially infected individuals, if needed”.
