It’s now spreading locally in Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, and Venezuela.
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“Travel to regions with ongoing Zika virus outbreaks is not recommended for women who are pregnant or women who are considering pregnancy”, ACOG President Mark DeFrancesco, M.D., M.B.A., said in the statement.
Research is under way into the effects of the Zika virus on pregnant women and newborn babies; information about the possible transmission of Zika from infected mothers to babies during pregnancy or childbirth is “very limited”, PAHO says. You might go 12 days from then until you start developing symptoms – or no symptoms but having the virus in your bloodstream that could infect the fetus.
So why is there so much concern?
The World Health Organisation said agencies investigating the Zika outbreaks were finding “an increasing body of evidence” about the link between the virus and microcephaly. The babies were born in August through October and all had confirmed microcephaly, which causes underdeveloped heads and brains. All the experts can say is that pregnant women should avoid mosquitoes, says Dr. Denise Jamieson, a medical officer with the CDC in Atlanta.
On Friday, Brazilian researchers writing in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report provided some details on 35 infants with microcephaly born to women who lived or travelled to areas where the virus circulates. Disturbingly, the mosquito-borne virus, which may be causing abnormally small heads in newborns, has also been linked to yet another debilitating disease. “Last week we recorded 126 cases and the week before there were 212 cases”. There is no vaccine for Zika virus. The nerve disorder causes muscle weakness that generally begins in the legs and spreads to the arms and face, and can cause numbness, trouble walking and even limb paralysis.
“The Ministry of Health believes that maybe there was a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the recommendation issued by the CDC”, said Barreto. When used as directed on the product label, insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant women.
The worst recession in more than a century in this country of 200 million also had led government to cut budgets for public health and sanitation services, limiting its ability to respond, Bellei said. “We know women can become asymptomatic and still have Zika”. “We’re talking about a generation of babies that’s going to be affected”.
He also expects the CDC to continue to expand the list of nations as the virus continues to spread.
Zika Virus In The U.S.
However the scope of the problem remains unclear, as Guillain-Barre has been so rare that Brazil’s Health Ministry does not track the exact number of cases.
He added, “Of course, this is an evolving area”.
Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito that primarily carries Zika (as well as the dengue and chikungunya viruses), is found in parts of Southern California, but none of the mosquitoes trapped here have been carrying the virus.
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“There is virtually no risk of acquiring Zika virus in New York State at this time as the virus can not be spread by casual contact with an infected person and mosquitoes are not active in cold winter months”, said DOH Commissioner Howard Zucker.
