Baby born in Hawaii with Zika virus

Zika (ZEE’-ka) is the name of a virus discovered in a monkey in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947. Babies with microcephaly can also have underdeveloped brains, which may lead to life-long developmental problems.

It’s the state’s first known case of the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to serious birth defects in thousands of babies born recently in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.

The baby’s gender and name have not been released.

Lab results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the presence of the virus in the newborn. Until last year, the country had fewer than 200 cases each year.

The countries and territories that are included in the CDC alert are Venezuela, Brazil, the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Colombia, Suriname, El Salvador, Paraguay, French Guiana, Panama, Mexico, Guatemala, Martinique, Honduras, and Haiti. Travelers, however, may find it hard to wear long-sleeved shirts in Brazil during this time of year, when temperatures reach over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio games are slated to run from August 5 to August 21.

Another CDC official, Dr. Lyle Petersen, said the virus seems to remain in the blood only about a week or two.

“Out of an abundance of caution, pregnant women (are) advised to consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing”, the CDC said. The best prevention strategy is taking steps to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.

In the Hawaii case, a doctor recognised the possibility of a Zika infection in the newborn baby and alerted state officials, the health department said. But all were people who were infected during travel outside the country. The virus can move to new areas when mosquitoes hitch a ride on travelers or cargo, or when infected patients travel to new territory and are bitten by mosquitoes there. No one has been infected in the United States. But Hawaii suffers outbreaks of dengue and the same mosquitoes that carry dengue are found there, so the state is vulnerable. “It definitely makes me think twice”, Rainieri said.

The U.S. has warned pregnant women from travelling to a number of countries across Latin America and the Caribbean after new cases of the Zika virus were found.

The little-known virus transmits in a cycle involving mosquitoes and people.

It can spread geographically when an infected person travels to a place where Aedes mosquitoes exist or when infected mosquitoes are relocated, for instance in shipped goods. Those who feel ill show symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, commonly called pink eye.

Brazil has been the hardest hit, documenting more than 3,500 cases of microcephaly between October 2015 and January 2016.