Reflecting the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in many parts of the Americas, a Catholic group appealed to Pope Francis on Wednesday to allow Church members to “follow their conscience” and use contraception or to let women have abortions to protect themselves against Zika.
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FOUR CASES of the Zika virus have been discovered in the United Kingdom in the last six weeks, Public Health England has said.
Australian health authorities have again urged pregnant women not to undertake global travel after a pregnant woman in Queensland state became infected with the Zika virus, local media reported Thursday.
“We’re not surprised to see cases in Tennessee, or Alabama anywhere”, said Bev Fulbright, R.N. the epidemiology dept. manager for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department, “People were traveling to these countries where it’s very prevalent, and we expected to see people return with the virus”.
The CDC is taking action against the newest outbreak.
Jennifer Sanchez, the co-Student Coordinator of the PEACE Volunteer Center also commented on the excursion to Ecuador which focuses on conservation and community in the Amazon Rainforest.
“The virus is only in the blood for a short time, and we only know of two cases being caused by a blood transfusion”, he said. “We are in contact with the International Programs Office (IPO) and intend to keep our participants as safe as possible”.
There are thought to have been more than 4,000 cases in Brazil alone of babies born with microcephaly – abnormally small brains – and where the transmission of Zika virus from mother to child is suspected of being the cause. The CDC also stated that there is now no vaccine for the virus the risks are still unknown.
He said the CDC would issue grants to U.S. states at risk of Zika to better control mosquitoes. This disease is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and creates the symptoms of a skin rash, mild fever and conjunctivitis which last anywhere from two to seven days, according to WHO. This time, the target is where it ought to be: on extinguishing mosquitoes, and not on stigmatizing people who may be carrying the virus into the country.
The State of Florida has over 20 million residents and approximately 100 million tourists.
Prior to 2015, Zika virus outbreaks occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
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For the virus to spread inside Australia however, it would need to be carried by the yellow fever mosquito driving the Zika virus in Brazil, where it’s been linked to thousands of birth defects in newborns, which is only found in the tropical regions of the far north of Queensland state.
