Puerto Rico reported its first case of Zika-related microcephaly Friday in a tragic but not unexpected announcement for the island, which has been hit harder by the mosquito-borne virus than anywhere else in the U.S.
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Dr Khor, who is also Senior Minister of State for Health, urged residents to stay vigilant and cooperate with NEA in their efforts to prevent the spread of the Zika virus in Singapore. “Like I said, we’re not going to wait on Washington or Tallahassee”.
Atherton said the public health office has sent out emails to doctors around the province outlining a protocol for when tests should be conducted and sent to a federal laboratory for analysis.
The outbreak is growing quickly in Puerto Rico, with more than 140 cases diagnosed just in the past week, including 18 in pregnant women, according to the island’s health department. In February, a 70-year-old Puerto Rican man died from complications caused by the Zika virus. The institute has recorded 49 cases of Zika and in each and every case, the virus was brought from overseas, reports The Sydney Morning Herald. 80 cases have been confirmed in this country, but the vast majority after in countries in the Caribbean and in South America.
In January, health officials confirmed the birth of a baby with microcephaly in Hawaii.
“By activating TLR3, the Zika virus blocks genes that tell stem cells to develop into the various parts of the brain”, he said. “Pregnant women continue to be advised not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission”, the organization noted, adding that it will continue to monitor local Zika transmission in the area and update its recommendations as the event draws nearer.
All confirmed cases of Zika in the US are from travelers bitten by mosquitoes while in another country, including six in Kentucky.
There’s no evidence of any mosquitoes actually carrying the virus in Mecklenburg County yet. Some needed additional care after developing Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition also associated with the Zika virus.
Few details were given about the reported case, and Puerto Rico officials did not reveal if the pregnancy ended in miscarriage or abortion, NBC News said.
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“We all have an innate immune system that evolved specifically to fight off viruses, but here the virus turns that very same defense mechanism against us”, said senior author Tariq Rana, PhD, professor of pediatrics at UCSD School of Medicine. In one study, performed in French Polynesia, the rate of microcephaly was only 1%. “We need to get the message out. that people need to help us by helping themselves, and reduce the amount of containers in their yard”.
