The CDC said several of the cases involved pregnant women.
Advertisement
The reports suggest sexual transmission may be a more likely means of spreading Zika than previously considered, the CDC said.
For four additional suspected sexual transmission events, preliminary laboratory evidence (IgM antibody test) is available for the women, but confirmatory tests are pending.
Officials at the C.D.C. reported the potential cases in an alert to health care providers on Tuesday.
But on day one of the study’s data-collection phase, the same precarious conditions that contributed to the proliferation of the mosquito-borne virus throughout the region proved to be a stumbling block for researchers, even in Paraiba state’s more-developed capital, Joao Pessoa. During an outbreak of Zika from 2013-14 in French Polynesia, national health authorities reported an unusual increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome.
The clinical symptoms of Zika are usually mild and often similar to dengue, which is transmitted by the same mosquito, so it is hard to confirm the infection, according to Truong Dinh Bac, deputy head of the General Department. There have been no reports of women transmitting Zika to male sex partners. Scientists do know that the vast majority of infections result from mosquito bites, but signs that the virus can be transmitted through sex continues to grow.
The advice either to abstain from sex or use latex condoms during sex is now being given to all pregnant women whose male partners have been to Zika-affected countries.
“I come from a pediatric infectious disease background and am also a mom, so looking at these children clinically, they were distinct from other congenital infections I’ve seen”, said Staples, who spent time in Brazil recently as part of a World Health Organization mission.
Hawaii has become the latest victim of the deadly Zika virus with Governor David Ige declaring a state of emergency.
Their itinerary includes meetings with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and a visit to the National Center for Risk and Disaster Management, Dujarric said.
She and the family answered an extensive questionnaire probing everything from whether she used insect repellent during pregnancy to what was the source of their drinking water. “We were concerned enough that we thought it was important to share that information…”
Advertisement
There is now no cure against the Zika virus and large-scale trials of vaccines in development are still at least 18 months away. They also note the microcephaly spike appears to be largely restricted to Brazil, with few cases reported in other countries with Zika outbreaks, such as neighboring Colombia. The CDC on Tuesday expanded its Zika travel advisory to two more places – the Marshall Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago.
