CDC Develops Interim Guidelines for Pregnant Women During a Zika Virus Outbreak

Hawai’i Department of Health officials have confirmed that no cases of Zika virus being acquired in Hawai’i have been reported.

The other two cases are out of Miami Dade County, where the people had contracted it while traveling to Colombia in December.

Jan 19 A genetically modified mosquito has helped reduce the proliferation of mosquitoes spreading Zika and other unsafe viruses in Brazil, its developers said on Tuesday.

Symptoms include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes (conjunctivitis).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory last week warning pregnant women to avoid 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America affected by the virus.

There have been reports of microcephaly and other poor pregnancy outcomes in babies in Brazil when mothers are infected, but the CDC said more studies are needed.

Liu said the Zika virus spread quickly in Central and South America in the latter part of 2015. The birth defect is called microcephaly, which is when babies are born with smaller than expected heads that may not have developed properly.

But Liu said it has “yet to be determined” whether microcephaly is in fact connected to the Zika virus.

“It’s extremely rare, but it’s not impossible for a pregnant woman to get Zika on a trip to Brazil”, he noted in comments made before the alert was issued.

“There’s a lot we don’t know”, including how much Zika is in the different areas, or how likely it is that Zika infection in a pregnant woman will lead to the birth defect, he added.

One of the mosquitoes that can carry the virus, aedes aegypti, is not common in Hawaii.

Zika, a dengue-like virus, causes an infection which often occurs without symptoms but can also cause an illness similar to dengue.

The ministry has advised women to delay pregnancy for the next six to 12 months, and those already pregnant to take extra precautions to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes.

Pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed evidence of Zika infection should be offered ultrasounds every three to four weeks to monitor fetal anatomy or growth.

People can protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellent containing DEET, putting mesh on windows and doors and wearing long sleeved clothing where possible.

“We believe this is a fairly serious problem”, Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC’s Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, said during an evening press conference Friday.

South American cities included in the CDC’s travel alert have begun instructing residents to remove stagnant water and avoid damp, swampy areas.