Subramaniam said checks revealed that the woman’s daughter who lives in Singapore had contracted the disease.
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“This is disappointing but not surprising”, said Adam Putnam, the Florida commissioner of agriculture.
This disturbing finding comes as we get confirmation of the first reports of Zika-carrying mosquitoes in the continental United States – and it’s right here in Florida. “We are also working closely with our partners at the state and the county to ensure all resources are effectively deployed”, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said in a statement Thursday.
Although Zika was first identified in 1947, the virus wasn’t considered a major health threat until a major outbreak in Brazil previous year revealed that Zika can lead to severe birth defects when pregnant women are infected. It leads to babies born with abnormally small heads and brains.
Gov. Rick Scott said the state health department has made resources available to the local county to start aerial spraying immediately in Miami Beach.
Malaysia has confirmed its first case of Zika after a woman tested positive for the virus following a three-day visit to neighboring Singapore on August 19.
Having originated in Africa, the virus has been found to spread rapidly through the Americas as populations there haven’t built up any immunity. This count includes six pregnant women, two infants infected before birth and one person who had sexual contact with a traveler.
In February, the World Health Organization declared the spread of Zika a global emergency, and epidemics have been sparked in at least 70 countries.
“If there was broad circulation of this virus in Asia, then it could be that the risk of Zika spreading to Asia won’t be as bad as we think”, Goorhuis said. However, 97 infections have already been reported in the first half of this year.
Authorities in Singapore said half of the 115 cases reported previously were foreigners, mainly from China, India and Bangladesh, and most had already recovered. The jump in Guillain-Barre cases followed peaks in Zika infection, the analysis found. The Montgomery County Public Health District continues to ask homeowners to do their part to prevent mosquito borne illnesses, such as Zika. “Additional studies are needed to show that [Zika] infection is a cause of the Guillain-Barre syndrome”.
Zika is only one of several diseases that can be spread by mosquitoes.
“I think it’s a real concern”, said Dr. Kavitha Rao, an infectious disease specialist at Stormont-Vail Health in Topeka.
Congress broke for its summer recess without approving additional funding.
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Jun Niizuma, a health ministry official, also said, “Those who are pregnant should not travel to such countries”.
