The congressman called for further research on vaccinations and treatments for the Zika virus and on drugs that might prevent the disease’s transmission from a mother to her unborn baby.
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Of those, almost 40 percent came to light over the last six weeks, illustrating the rapid spread of a usually rare health problem. Researchers with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are examining the link between Zika and birth defects. Serious birth defects including microcephaly (abnormally short heads) have been reported in babies of some women infected with Zika virus while pregnant.
“As long as the outbreak continues in Central and South America and the Caribbean, we expect to see more travel-related Zika virus infections in our state”, said Randall Williams, MD, State Health Director.
While that relation has not been proven scientifically Brazilian authorities coping with an unprecedented number of babies with microcephaly say they are sure Zika is the cause, because most cases of microcephaly have occurred in the poorer northeast of Brazil where the Zika outbreak has hit hardest.
But what’s needed now are studies showing how the Zika virus is actually capable of affecting the neuronal cells of fetuses, along with research showing the rate of potential risk for microcephaly in the event of Zika infection during pregnancy.
Brazil has about 508 confirmed cases of microcephaly and 3,935 suspected cases are now being investigated.
“Until we understand the biological mechanism linking Zika virus to microcephaly, we can not be certain that one causes the other”. “We’re analyzing what’s happening in Brazil, but between when we released the estimate and now we haven’t found a single case of microcephaly”, Gaviria said.
Since Deyalsingh announced a national public health emergency on January 29, mosquito eradication exercises across the twin-island republic have been intensified, in an effort to eliminate the Aedes aegypti vector that transmits the virus.
Jimmy Whitworth, a Zika expert and professor of worldwide public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the findings “strengthen the body of evidence” pointing to Zika as a cause of microcephaly in Brazil.
In those areas, the FDA recommends blood banks obtain whole blood donations from USA states that have not reportedZika transmission via mosquito.
Now there is no vaccine for Zika, but rest and ibuprofen have been shown to help treat symptoms (which again, are mild). It has also advised avoiding travel to areas of a possible Zika outbreak, particularly for pregnant women.
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There is not yet an FDA-licensed test to screen blood donations for Zika.
