It’s been studied for many years because of all the other diseases it transmits, but Zika is not a new virus.
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While the World Health Organization and other disease experts had said there was strong scientific consensus that Zika and microcephaly were linked, evidence until now has been largely circumstantial.
“To our knowledge, our study is the first to estimate the seroprevalence of Zika virus infection in pregnant women in an epidemic area in Brazil”.
As for Virginia mosquitoes, some 32,000 have been tested for the virus.
“The researchers said they published their preliminary findings without waiting to finish the larger study-which will look at 200 babies with microcephaly and 400 control babies-because the results were so powerful”, STAT News reported.
“Although there is a strong scientific consensus that Zika virus is a cause of microcephaly, the early findings from this case-control study are the missing pieces of the jigsaw in terms of proving the link”, an infectious disease expert, Laura Rodrigues, told the American publication.
The total count of confirmed Zika cases in San Antonio is 13.
In microcephaly, babies are born with a smaller-than-normal head and an underdeveloped brain.
The ban also covers people diagnosed with Zika or those displaying Zika-like symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, headache or red eyes, the source said. Health officials have speculated that genetic or environmental factors, or prior dengue infections, can increase the risk of Zika leading to microcephaly. Their mothers were tested for Zika and dengue viruses. That study found consistent patterns linking Zika infection with microcephaly, borne out by fetal and infant autopsy reports.
“So the most important thing to do is not let mosquitoes spread around the airport area, therefore we installed these larvae traps in the whole airport area”, said Susanto, health official.
They added that if this is the case, “we should prepare for the epidemic of microcephaly to expand to all countries with current (local) Zika virus transmission and to those countries where transmission of the virus is likely to spread”.
The CDC has guidelines about how long men and women should use condoms or not have sex if the have traveled to an area with Zika or live in an area with the virus.
“This is because the fifth case, which is the pregnant woman from Miri, went to Singapore in July”.
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Sensitization sessions on the implications of Zika Virus and the possible modes of transmission are routinely provide through antenatal clinics at Wellness Centres throughout the island. Some travelers from the neighboring country, Malaysia, have also been reported to be positive for Zika virus infection after visiting Singapore.
