In Tennessee, no mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus, but data compiled by the Wall Street Journal showed certain areas of Tennessee, including Nashville, are prone to Zika infected mosquitoes.
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While that might make it easy to dismiss as an issue only for people who travel or live in regions where it’s been found, health experts say everyone should be aware.
Singapore announced the first locally contracted case of Zika late on Saturday, and the number of diagnosed infections has grown steadily this week.
Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said pregnant women or women wanting to become pregnant should be tired of traveling to Zika prone areas, especially Miami, now that a mosquito has tested positive for the virus.
Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said: “As per our Embassy in Singapore, 13 Indian nationals have tested positive for Zika in that country”. Zika is mostly spread by a specific species of tropical mosquito, but it can also be spread by sex and through blood transfusions.
The Zika virus has mild effect on most people, but can be fatal for unborn children.
Buchanan noted Tom Frieden, head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters earlier this week in Washington, D.C., that his agency may run out of Zika funding by the end of this month. On August 31, her urine sample tested positive for the Zika virus.
Singapore’s cramped urban setting has made it a vulnerable target for spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, but the disease has proven to be mild and most of the people have recovered. Symptoms of the Zika virus infection include muscle pains, fever, headache, pain behind the eyes and vomiting. She is among the 115 confirmed cases of the virus detected in the city-state.
“Sexually active women are supposed to use barrier protection while making love for eight weeks from the onset of their symptoms”, he said.
The WHO, which declared Zika an global public health emergency, was holding a regular meeting of its Zika emergency committee on Thursday to review the spread of the disease.
Levin said it is likely a Zika vaccine will be developed in the next two to four years. “The public should be aware of the infection, and take care to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes, and keep their homes clear of mosquito breeding environments”, Dr Than Win said.
Lastly, the health office said citizens should eliminate any standing water on their properties.
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“Over time, we expect Zika cases to to emerge from more areas”, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in the statement.
