Friday’s announcement coincided with the start of Carnival, a five-day bacchanalia that sees millions of people take part in alcohol-fueled parties where kissing as many people as possible is a top pastime.
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The U.N. human rights agency called for some nations to loosen strict laws against abortion and US health authorities recommended men who have visited areas with the Zika virus use condoms if they have sex with pregnant women.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Margaret Chan, declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency, following recommendations made by a committee of independent experts. However, it remains unclear if the virus can be spread by saliva and urine.
“We will be doing studies of how long the virus can persist in semen, but we know it goes away from the blood within about a week”, Frieden said.
Frieden’s remarks ushered in two sets of guidelines on the Zika virus, which has been blamed for a swell of microcephaly cases – a fetal development disorder – in Brazil.
Officials warned that the species of mosquito most commonly associated with transmission of Zika – the aedes mosquito – is not now active in New York City or the surrounding areas. Jose Romasanta, Spokesperson for the Filipino Olympic Committee, said during an interview with BuzzFeed News that “everyone is doing the best they can”. Even if their partner is not pregnant, they may want to consider taking such steps, the CDC said.
In addition, another Zika-infected traveler – someone in Florida, who recently had been to Central America – has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a CDC official said.
Federal health officials have issued guidelines for preventing sexual transmission of Zika virus, advising men who may have been exposed to the virus and have a pregnant partner to practice safe sex or abstain until their baby is born.
Infectious-disease specialists said the discovery should not take the focus away from the battle to control the mosquito that carries the virus. Gadelha recomended that pregnant women avoid kissing and sharing cutlery, glasses and plates with people who have symptoms of the virus.
The people most seriously affected are pregnant women and their fetuses. One cases from this year involved a women who is pregnant.
The mosquito-borne virus has spread to at least 29 countries. Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly.
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Keaten reported from Geneva.
