RIO DE JANEIRO Feb 5 Scientists identified the Zika virus in the saliva and urine of two infected patients, a top Brazilian biomedical research institution said on Friday, prompting its president to urge pregnant women not to kiss strangers just as local carnival celebrations begin.
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Men who have traveled to areas where Zika virus is spreading should use protection during sex with a pregnant partner or abstain from sex for the duration of the pregnancy, federal health officials said Friday.
Brazilian scientists announced their discovery on Friday, as US health officials advised more stringent measures for monitoring pregnant women for Zika and for preventing sexual transmission of the virus.
He said that risk for developing Zika depends on how long a person was in the area where Zika is present, how many mosquitoes are active in that area, how many mosquito bites they had and how well they protected themselves.
It’s why they are recommending pregnant women, whose partner has been in a region infected with the virus, to proceed with caution.
He suggested pregnant women avoid kissing people other than a regular partner or sharing cutlery, glasses and plates with people who have symptoms of the virus.
Paulo Gadelha says that the virus’s ability to infect other people through the two body fluids requires further study.
No mosquitoes have been found to be carrying Zika in Queensland and although 10 cases have been reported in the state since 2014, none were on the Sunshine Coast and each was found to have been brought in by someone returning from overseas.
Health officials had previously reported isolated instances of the virus being passed via blood transfusions and sexual contact, including a USA case reported this week. But it has become a concern because of a possible link with a birth defect in Brazil.
Here is the latest list of CDC travel advisories for Zika-affected countries and territories.
Other uncertainties surround the incubation period of the virus and how Zika interacts with other viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes such as dengue.
But it now warns that sexually active people who may be pregnant should take precautions.
Zika virus is mosquito-borne and is mainly spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Both individuals tested positive for the virus, and there have been no documented cases of mosquito-transmitted Zika in Dallas. In an email, he said countries would likely be reluctant to share samples freely without agreements to ensure they wouldn’t be frozen out of any resulting products from their viruses, like drugs and vaccines.
“Given the complexity of unanswered questions on Zika & (associated) disease, our goal is to encourage all researchers to share their data ASAP”, the World Health Organization said on Twitter.
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Now, after seeing three deaths, researchers believe the virus may also be linked guillain-barre syndrome, a rare but serious condition that can cause paralysis.
