3 test positive for Zika virus in NY

Health officials are now investigating if the mosquito-borne Zika virus is linked to a rare paralysis syndrome called Guillain-Barre. (Similar to those associated with other mosquito-borne illness, dengue and chikungunya, but generally milder and less severe.) However, symptomatic or not, the virus is extremely risky for pregnant women, as it has been linked to microcephaly, a neurological disorder which causes infants to be born with unusually small heads and results in brain damage, serious developmental problems, and even death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday repeated its recommendation that pregnant women avoid travel to affected countries until more can be learned about whether it can affect unborn babies.

Three Britons have been infected with Zika virus after travelling to South and Central America, Public Health England (PHE) has said. It is thought to be triggered by an infection – something as simple as food poisoning – and happens when the immune system attacks the body’s own nervous system.

Since an outbreak of Zika in Brazil in October, a surge in microcephaly in newborns has been reported, with nearly 4,000 cases.

If tests reveal signs of infection, ultrasounds should be considered to monitor the fetus’ development, and referral to a maternal-fetal medicine or infectious disease specialist with expertise in pregnancy management is also recommended, the CDC advised.

All three travelled to areas outside of the USA where Zika is spreading, but officials did not specify where.

So far 21 countries and territories in the region have reported cases of Zika, more than double the number only one month ago, according to January 21 figures cited by an expert from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the regional arm of the WHO.

Warnings by USA health officials now cover parts of Africa and Oceania. The CDC had previously issued a similar warning for 14 other countries including Brazil and Honduras. There’s no specific treatment; infected people aren’t contagious.

“Most are reporting sporadic cases but we have larger outbreaks in Brazil, in Colombia, in El Salvador, in Panama and in Cape Verde”, WHO Spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.

Daily sweeps will also take place during the Games.

Marcos Aleman reported from San Salvador, El Salvador.