The Zika virus has been confirmed as causing birth defects, following months of speculation and uncertainty.
Advertisement
New reports out of Dallas, however, prove that the virus cannot only be sexually transmitted but that it can also infect men.
Zika, which is spread by mosquitoes, can cause Microcephaly in infants born to women infected while pregnant.
The transmission occurred when one man returned to Dallas, Texas, after a weeklong trip in Venezuela.
The most commonly seen symptoms of the Zika Virus Disease include fever, joint pain, rash or conjunctivitis (red eyes).
However, researchers do not believe Zika can be transmitted through saliva, so kissing is still safe. One week later, his partner, who had not traveled overseas nor received any mosquito bites, began to display the same symptoms.
“The primary mosquito that carries the Zika Virus Disease, the Aedes aegypti, has not been seen in Summit County based on mosquito surveillance conducted by SCPH”, according to SCPH Environmental Health Director, Bob Hasenyager. The removal of any lingering doubt about the cause of the birth defects may help spur more intensive efforts to develop diagnostics and vaccines specific to Zika, which is closely related to dengue and other mosquito-borne viruses.
Why we’re covering this: Some gay, lesbian and bisexual people have written off the Zika virus as a “straight person’s disease” because the virus mostly directly affects pregnant women. Health officials say that the virus is scarier then they originally thought. “A week after his return, his longtime partner, who had not traveled outside the country, became ill”. Over 350 cases have been reported in the United States, all linked to travel to Zika outbreak regions.
Advertisement
WHO on February 1, 2016, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding clusters of microcephaly cases and neurological disorders in some areas affected by Zika virus.
