The Zika virus may be particularly adept at entrenching itself in parts of the body that are shielded from the immune system, making it harder to fight off and possibly lengthening the timeframe in which it can be transmitted, top U.S. experts said on Friday.
The CDC said that around 80 percent of infected adults show no symptoms, while others can have fever, skin rashes, joint pains and conjunctivitis.
“It is recommended that any women who may be pregnant should defer travel to Zika areas”, he said. And it has also stated there “should be no restrictions on travel or trade with countries, areas and/or territories with Zika virus transmission”, tourists who are pregnant and who wish to alter their travel arrangements should be able to do so for free if they act quickly.
Scientists are investigating a potential link between Zika infections of pregnant women and more than 4,000 suspected cases in Brazil of microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Zika virus is generally mild and self-limiting, lasting 2 to 7 days. He said that keeping homes free of mosquitoes was the most effective way to contain the virus until a vaccine is developed.
Gov. Rick Scott announced a new Zika information hotline for people with questions. Florida has had the most confirmed cases of the virus at 18 as of Thursday.
Dr. David Freedman, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UAB, said neither the Southeast nor Alabama has the density of the mosquito responsible for spreading the virus to cause widespread infection.
In a 5-week period since the end of December, Colombia has reported 86 cases, three times as many as it would expect to see over the time period, based on patterns for the past 6 years. The main culprit in the spread of Zika as well as other viruses.
He eventually was diagnosed with a Zika infection as well as Guillain-Barré. Brazil has declared the highest number of Zika cases ever recorded with between 440,000 and 1,300,000 suspected cases reported.
The CDC on Friday urged Puerto Ricans, as they have urged residents in all Zika-affected areas, to take measures to avoid mosquito bites, such as wearing long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, using insect repellent and making sure doors and windows have screens.
The British man was infected with the virus while traveling to French Polynesia in 2014.
Brazil’s Evandro Chagas Institute has signed an agreement to develop a Zika virus vaccine with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, the Associated Press (AP) reported today, citing a Brazilian health ministry official.