Zika virus causes birth defect in Hawaii, first in US

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Protection advised US travelers to take protect themselves against mosquito bites if they visit places in Latin America or the Caribbean where Zika has been spreading.

That same advice holds for women who are trying to get pregnant, or contemplating starting a family.

“It’s a very personal decision, but at this moment of uncertainty, if families can put off their pregnancy plans, that’s what we’re recommending”, Angela Rocha, the pediatric infectologist in Brazil’s, told CNN.

Canada last week issued a health advisory urging travelers to guard against mosquito bites when visiting the countries of Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela. Approximately one in five people infected with the virus shows symptoms. The situation is too new and too little is known, he said.

An Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector of Zika virus. The virus has been linked to a recent surge in birth defects including microcephaly, a rare condition in which newborns have smaller than normal heads and their brains do not develop properly. But this is the first time it has been transmitted on Ecuadorian soil, said Veronica Espinosa, deputy cabinet minister responsible for monitoring outbreaks. Brazilian health officials think the greatest risk of microcephaly and malformations happens during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Brazil also has reported dozens of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare immune system disorder that can cause temporary paralysis, that appear related to Zika virus.

A possible link between Zika virus and congenital birth defects has been found in some babies born to infected mothers.

Though there was a baby born in Hawaii with brain damage due to the Zika virus, to date, it is the only known case of anyone in the USA having the virus. The severity of microcephaly varies.

Their reports suggest severe brain damage.

But Hawaii’s Big Island is now battling the state’s largest outbreak of dengue fever, another mosquito-borne illness, in 50 years.

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika.

The mosquito season peaks in April, so many more cases are likely to occur across the Southern hemisphere and other infested areas, health officials warn. Check the CDC travel website frequently for the most up-to-date recommendations. “The danger is for pregnant women, which could lead to devastating consequences”.

Cases of Zika have been reported in the US, but those have been people who recently returned from overseas. All of the patients recovered without incident. Three out of four infected people have no symptoms at all, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

“You had aches and pains in joints and muscles, and a bit more frequently than the others you would get a rash”, Schaffner explained. The disease is rarely fatal.

In its tests, the CDC examined tissue from two fetuses from miscarriages, as well as two full-term babies who had been born with microcephaly and died within 24 hours of birth, Dr. Petersen said.

Here’s a rundown of important information about the Zika virus and how it is spread.