The first case of microcephaly in the fetus of a woman infected by the Zika virus has been detected in Spain, it has been confirmed by health authorities in the Catalan region of Spain.
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She visited a hospital in the western port city of Incheon on May 4 to treat a chronic thyroid gland problem after having rash and joint pain and was diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus.
It is typically transmitted through bites from the same kind of mosquitoes – Aedes aegypti – that can spread other tropical diseases, like dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever.
Mosquito season is coming up and Angel Branch is making sure she and her daughter don’t get bitten.
The new test could be available in the next several months, and would “improve upon key limitations of now available options for Zika detection, such as potential cross-reactivity with closely-related viruses and a lack of specialized skills or equipment to screen for the virus outside of large urban areas”, said the report. Doctors, therefore, are particularly concerned about the possibility of infection in women who are pregnant or of child-bearing age. The virus, which is carried through mosquitos, has been known to cause birth defects. The state’s laboratory was approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in March for PCR testing, after Malloy directed DPH to develop and begin testing for Zika.
Additionally, the CDC said couples should abstain or wear condoms for eight weeks if the female has confirmed or suspected Zika, or if the male traveled to a country with a Zika outbreak but has no symptoms. Cases of sexual transmission from travelers to their sexual partners had been reported from the United States and Europe.
But a recent poll revealed that Americans don’t know much about the Zika virus – a disease that many South American countries believe is a serious threat.
The post suggests that a Zika shot will become as routine as the current vaccine for rubella.
Zika has been shown to cause undersized heads and underdeveloped brains in infants born to women infected during pregnancy.
“We’ll be working in a coordinated fashion to get the word out to educate and inform the public on what they need to do”, said Mayor Jones.
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“With so many women and families across Central New York looking for action and global health leaders like Upstate ready to assist, it is critical that members of Congress work together to green-light this $1.9 billion in emergency funding”.
