The virus can cause a birth defect called microcephaly, making Zika especially risky to pregnant women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been over two thousand reported cases of Zika in the U.S. with majority of them being travel-associated.
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A research team from Florida State University, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health discovered existing drug compounds able to stop the Zika virus from replicating in the body – as well as protect fetal brain cells that can lead to birth defects. The hospital is a reference center for diagnosis of hearing loss and hearing rehabilitation.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday confirmed 26 more cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection, bringing the total number of infected cases to 82. It is also linked to blindness, deafness, seizures and other congenital defects.
There has been a lot of news lately regarding the Zika virus.
A pregnant woman was among those who tested positive for the virus. Almost 600 cases have been reported in the USA, with most of those cases found in people who’ve traveled outside the country.
So far, the Department of Health says there have been 558 travel-related infections and 46 non-travel related infections of Zika, with 78 of those involving pregnant women.
Researchers around the world have been working to better understand the disease – which can be transmitted both by mosquito bite and through a sexual partner – and also to develop medical treatments.
According to WPLG Local 10, a Florida news station, 43 people have contracted the Zika virus locally in Florida, with the majority having occurred in Miami-Dade County.
Flyers have been distributed to raise general awareness of Zika virus and precautionary measures. The remaining 20 percent reported mild symptoms such as a fever and rash.
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That’s because standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and Texas is already one of the most vulnerable states to see local transmission of the zika virus. In Brazil, the virus has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, and USA officials expect as many as 270 cases in Puerto Rico, where local transmission of the virus is widespread.
