The Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn baby, and can cause brain defects such as microcephaly, a congenital condition that causes stunted brain development and abnormally small heads in infants.
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Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the C.D.C., said that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the Zika virus, has proved to be a wily adversary in Wynwood, a crowded, urban neighborhood in north Miami where all the cases were found.
As of August 5, CDPH has confirmed 134 travel-associated Zika virus infections in 22 counties.
According to Karen Smith, the state’s health officer, about 100 infants are born with microcephaly in California every year. “Pregnant women who must travel to one of these areas should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and speak with a health care provider upon return”.
The department said it has conducted testing for more than 2,460 people statewide.
Neither baby was born in Riverside or San Bernardino counties, and no pregnant women have tested positive for the virus here, county health officials confirmed.
While this species is not now in Washington, people who travel to and from areas where Zika is spreading can return with the illness.
One of them may have been born at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley, according to media reports, although officials will not confirm this.
Governor Robert Bentley on Friday announced that he has approved the use of emergency funds to support the state’s efforts against the Zika Virus. Marco Rubio has blamed Obama for failing to release funding that he said is at the president’s disposal.
Smith said that the virus is also transmitted by sexual activity and that both sexually active men and women should take the necessary precautions if they travel to countries where the virus is prevalent. So far, they’re the only cases not related to travel in the continental U.S. Two were the women who gave birth to the infants with defects.
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There is a high demand, particularly among pregnant women, for Zika testing around the state; Scott said individuals in Wynwood will get tests before people in other parts of the state. There are no known Zika-infected mosquitoes in Kentucky.
