The Illinois Dept. of Health says two pregnant women in the state have tested positive for Zika virus. The Illinois Department of Public Health said Tuesday doctors are monitoring the women’s health and their pregnancies.
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People catch Zika virus by being bitten by an infected Aedes mosquito – the same type of mosquito that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. This disease spreads through mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) which are also responsible for other well known diseases like dengue, yellow fever etc. In order to curb Zika, scientists at a company called Oxitec are employing genetically engineered sterile mosquitoes in the affected areas, which will ultimately reduce the number of affected mosquitoes in the region.
Sagging demand from China has undercut Latin America’s export-dependent economies at the same time their currencies have been battered by the rising values of dollars and euros. Health officials fumigated the largest cemetery in Peru and second largest in the world to prevent Chikunguya and Zika virus, which affect several countries in the Americas. This birth defect, in which the brain is abnormally small, was often found after the mother had Zika virus-like symptoms early in the pregnancy.
Jamaica hasn’t had any reported case of Zika virus infection, Fox News reported.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel alert for people going to countries where the virus is found. “And then afterward, it seems that it should be fine, because other than this adverse effect in pregnant women, there does not seem to be…it usually sticks with the usual what we think of for Zika which is mild symptoms”, said University of Arizona College of Public Health epidemiologist Dr. Heidi Brown. Pregnant women who visited places linked with the virus, particularly those who show symptoms of the infection, should be screened and tested, the CDC said.
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed three cases of Zika virus in Florida, including two in Miami-Dade County.
“There is a link between Zika virus infection and subsequent birth defects in women, although more research is needed to really shore up that link”, Shah said.
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They also advised women who are trying to get pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant to talk to their doctor before traveling to those areas, and to take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites. An estimated 80 percent of people infected with the virus have no symptoms at all, making it hard for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. “Health care providers should contact their state or local health department to facilitate testing and for assistance with interpreting results”.
