“The ability to prevent dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of severe birth defects creates a special responsibility-every child protected is a tragedy prevented”. The meeting comes as Congress remains deadlocked on funding to address the mosquito-borne virus, which emerged past year in South America and is particularly risky to pregnant women.
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Also on the call, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and Amy Pope, a deputy homeland security adviser, encouraged the states to prepare and prevent local transmission now before the summer mosquito season is fully underway.
Mexico´s Undersecretary of Prevention presented in detail the strategies against the zika virus, such as staff training and specialists contracting; plus a budget of more than 800 million pesos for vector control, among other actions. Also, a birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected when compared to the babies of the same sex and age was also noted as one of the complications of the zika virus infection.
For its part, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has so far not advised women to avoid pregnancy during the Zika outbreak unless they are infected with the virus. According to the World Health Organization, it is also becoming increasingly evident that it can also be transmitted through sex as well.
In the announcement at a press conference, of the recent scientific evidence published in the New England Journal of Medicine, about the association of the zika virus and the probability of developing microcephaly during the first months of pregnancy, doctor Kuri Morales said that the fact that a pregnant woman is infected with zika virus, does not necessarily mean that the fetus in gestation will develop microcephaly.
Health authorities are especially frustrated by Washington’s delay in releasing more federal funds to fight the virus.
Fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache lasting for about a week are few of the common symptoms. In majority of the cases, there are no significant symptoms.
Now there is no treatment or vaccine available for the zika virus. Few companies are on the way of developing the vaccine.
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She says that Zika can also be spread sexually, and she again advises to check that website for the appropriate information.
