Second Case Of Zika Virus Reported In Ohio

The Zika virus’ spread has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

We didn’t have any idea that it was Zika virus.

The man from the southern city of Ganzhou had been treated in Venezuela on January 28 before returning home on February 5 via Hong Kong and the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in a statement.

The health agency cited a “strongly suspected” relationship between Zika infection in pregnancy and microcephaly, a condition marked by abnormally small head size in newborn babies that can result in developmental problems.

To prevent potential transmission through sexual contact, CDC recommends men with a pregnant sex partner abstain from sexual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms during sex for the duration of the pregnancy. Symptoms typically begin 2 to 7 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.

How does Zika impact pregnant women?

Until then, she said, people anxious about Zika virus should listen to what is known about transmission of the disease and its symptoms.

Pregnant women or women trying to become pregnant who do travel to one of these areas should talk to their doctor or other healthcare provider first and strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites during the trip. Zika symptoms, which include fever, rash, joint pain and redness of the eyes, are mild, and serious illness requiring hospitalization is uncommon. These mosquitoes are the same species that transmit dengue and chikungunya viruses. On autopsy, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing and electron microscopy confirmed Zika virus in brain tissue.

There is no tool available that allows physicians to diagnose Zika virus in the field, limiting their ability to quickly identify the disease and take action. Isaac Adewole sought to rest Nigerians’ minds at ease when he said the incurable Zika virus which is spreading fast through the Americas poses little threat to Nigerians due to a study in the 1970’s which shows that several Nigerians were immune to the virus at the time.

CDC has confirmed a USA case of Zika virus infection in a non-traveler after the person’s sexual partner returned from an affected country and developed symptoms.

Talbot added that practical advice can go a long way, including the use of insect repellants DEET or Permethrin in clothing and removing containers and places where mosquitoes breed.