The United States’ first case of the mysterious Zika virus has been confirmed by Hawaiian officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that state’s health department said Friday.
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The microcephaly virus, which causes unusually small skull and brain development, is believed to be transmitted by a mosquito that has bitten an infected human. It’s the state’s first known case of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to serious birth defects in thousands of babies born recently in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.
She was likely infected from a mosquito bite early in her pregnancy and the virus then damaged the developing brain of the fetus.
Tests indicated that in at least four cases, the fetus developed the malformation during pregnancy because of the virus, the CDC said.
“In this situation, an astute Hawaii physician recognized the possible role of Zika virus infection, immediately notified the Department of Health, and worked with us to confirm the suspected diagnosis”. The mosquitoes that transmit it – from the Aedes family – are found in a number of states, especially in the south. Florida and southeast Texas have been identified as areas that are especially vulnerable. While Brazil had an average of 156 babies born each year between 2010 and 2014 with microcephaly, 2015 saw more than 3,000 instances. Health officials think the condition is related to the Zika virus that infected her mother during pregnancy.
The Hawaii health department said it sent a medical advisory about the infection to doctors across the state but emphasised that neither the mother nor baby were infectious.
Brazil has discovered cases of microcephaly in 20 of its 27 states, notably in Pernambuco, where therewere 1,031 reported cases and three deaths from the condition in 2015.
Most people infected with Zika virus don’t become ill.
At the same time, Brazil noticed a startling increase in the numbers of microcephaly cases.
It’s impossible at this point to say how long the travel advice will remain in effect, Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC’s division of vector-borne diseases, said at a news conference announcing the guidance. Zika causes a mild illness with fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, with symptoms usually lasting under a week.
As of Saturday, those included 17 Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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In addition, if you have the Zika virus, avoid mosquito bites during the first week of the illness to help prevent the spread of the disease. Pregnant women should consider avoiding the region all together, the agency urged.
