The organization clarifies doubts that people have with its earlier recommendation on sexual transmission of Zika and harmful impact of the virus on pregnancy. The state has tallied only 27 cases of Zika, all travel-related, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It means the virus has not yet infected local mosquito. The study pointed out that eye banks may need to start testing corneas for Zika virus as well.
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The study was performed on mice by injecting them with Zika under the skin similarly to how mosquitos spread infections.
Citing a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Singapore’s government portal says Zika infected women have a 1 to 13 percent chance of giving birth to a child with microcephaly. Although the researchers don’t know exactly how the virus is traveling from the blood to the eye, these new findings suggest why some infected adults develop conjunctivitis (redness and itchiness of the eyes) and, in rare cases, an eye infection called uveitis (that can be serious and lead to vision loss).
Zika researchers are increasingly looking for other sources because the virus is spreading faster than expected if mosquitoes were the only source. Microcephaly causes smaller-than-normal head size and poor brain development in babies.
While there is still no vaccine, taking preventative measures is of utmost importance.
“Once again, Congress has been asleep at the wheel while thousands of Americans, including folks in Orange County, have contracted the Zika virus”, Maloney said.
“I don’t think there’s enough information about it yet that you have to be a little bit cautious and certainly ladies are going to see their doctor and sometimes doctors will say no just don’t go there”.
Due to the risk of the virus being spread sexually, health officials have recommended the use of condoms, with a special warning being given to pregnant women to use protection while having sex or to not engage in sex at all during pregnancy.
The biggest way for the public to help, besides taking precautionary measures to avoid contracting the virus, is to remove breeding grounds for mosquitos from around their living areas.
Thompson noted that while fogging is one way to reduce the mosquito population it is only one measure and encouraged attendees to inspect their properties for containers and plants that can collect water and become breeding sites. “Some patients, particularly expatriates, are calling to ask if they should relocate back to their own home country”, said obstetrician Kelly Loi of the Health and Fertility Centre for Women.
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Republican Rep. David Jolly brought a canister with about 100 mosquitoes from his home state of Florida to the House floor on Wednesday in an attempt to draw attention to the Zika outbreaks there.
