The CDC has noted rare reports of Zika transmission through sex and blood transfusions, although mosquito bites have been the primary source of the virus’ spread.
Advertisement
But the Obama administration said it is necessary to “work aggressively” because there could be limited Zika outbreaks in the country during the next few months. An estimated several thousand babies in Brazil could have microcephaly, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development resulting in abnormal smallness of the head.
“There is neurological risk as well – ascending from the limb and once it reaches the lungs you will have difficulty in breathing, which can cause death”.
So far, all mosquito-caused American cases of Zika have been contracted outside the country.
“We do think it’s likely that we will have limited local transmission in some of the southern states”, Schuchat said. The ornery insects are carrying around a new disease called Zika virus.
In the wake of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a global public health emergency regarding the Zika virus, President Barack Obama is asking Congress for $1.8 billion for ongoing efforts.
Health experts say illness from Zika infection is usually mild and lasts less than a week.
The Zika virus, which is “primarily transmitted through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes”, also spreads Chikungunya and dengue, other risky diseases according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
American Mosquito Control Association technical adviser Joe Conlon says it can be hard to get homeowners’ cooperation because “in the USA, we don’t like the government in our houses”. An apparent sexually transmitted case that Texas health authorities announced last week may mark the outbreak’s first Zika transmission within the continental U.S.
As of February 4, the IDPH has reported three confirmed, travel-related cases of the Zika virus in IL residents, two of whom were pregnant women.
The Zika virus is not deadly.
Advertisement
Moreover, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has supported 50 instances of the virus in america among individuals who’d travelled to affected areas and returned to the United States.
