Women in Zika countries should breastfeed their babies

Ko and his team warn that this single case – along with growing evidence linking Zika to microcephaly – is pointing to Zika’s ties to hydrops fetalis (an abnormal accumulation of fluid), hydranencephaly (an nearly complete loss of brain tissue) and fetal demise (more commonly known as stillbirth).

Three pregnant women have tested positive for the Zika virus in Florida, where so far 32 cases have been registered, although none of those people contracted the disease in the state, the Florida Department of Health said Wednesday.

The key, he said, is to reduce the risk of Zika virus among women.

Researchers are studying possible links between Zika in pregnant women and birth defects in babies.

World Health Organization said there have been no cases of babies suffering severe neurological problems or brain damage after being infected with Zika after birth.

Chinese scientists have announced on Monday they had decoded the gene sequence of the first imported Zika virus.

The virus is mainly transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the same mosquitoes that spread dengue, although spread of the virus through blood transfusion and sexual contact has already been reported. An ultrasound showed that the baby was extremely underweight for its stage of development as a result of congenital Zika virus, though the mother hadn’t shown any Zika virus symptoms.

The man is 65 or older and is from Hancock County, the agency said.

If Zika starts circulating locally, Lee said, he could conduct testing for that virus.

“We are dealing with a tricky virus, full of uncertainties, so we should be prepared for surprises”, she said.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health stressed the need for special funding to continue research on the disease, work on a vaccine against it, and help USA states and territories prepare for the virus’s spread. When adults do become ill, they develop a fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis.

Among them are 14 Brazilian and American researchers who said in the February 24 Annals of Internal Medicine that the connection between the virus and microcephaly “remains presumptive”.

A solid 63 percent of people knew that cases of Zika had been diagnosed in the United States.

Cases of the virus have been reported in several European countries including Britain, Denmark, Italy and Spain.

Due to the increasing suspicion of a link between Zika and such defects, pregnant women have been encouraged to avoid traveling to the affected countries.