They reported their findings in the February 25 issue of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
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“Following the news that three pregnant women tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling to Latin America, we have requested additional antibody tests to ensure we keep a good supply of resources to keep our families safe”, Scott said in a statement, according to CBS News. That changed abruptly during the course of the 18th week of pregnancy, when an ultrasound examination discovered that the fetus’ weight was well below where it should have been at that point.
Zika virus is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. On Feb. 1, the World Health Organization declared Zika a global health emergency.
The Zika virus may not only cause devastating brain damage in babies but could actually kill, a shocking new study has found.
In addition to a devastating loss of brain tissue, this fetus also had another abnormality – severe swelling and fluid build-up in other parts of the body – that by itself can be life-threatening, researchers reported Thursday. In all of the cases, the virus was contracted while traveling outside the country.
Until more is known, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now advising pregnant women to avoid travel to countries where Zika virus is circulating. There have been a total of seven cases so far of Zika virus in fetuses and newborns who died soon after birth. Chan said the connection between the virus and microcephaly, a neurological disorder that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and suffer seizures and impaired brain development, is likely to be genuine.
The researchers cautioned that they could not extrapolate the risk to other pregnant women exposed to Zika from a single case. Like many who are just starting to learn about the Zika virus, she needs more information.
In the paper, the researchers point out that this patient didn’t even know she had Zika-only about one in four people infected are symptomatic-so it could be that this association has already emerged, but we’ve missed it because we didn’t know what to look for.
Two weeks later a decision to carry out an induced birth was taken after the baby’s death in the womb was confirmed.
With five confirmed imported Zika virus cases and the weather beginning to warm up across the country, China is on high alert.
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“To date, there’s no antiviral [drug] that works on the Zika virus, so we’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place”, Tache said.
