U.S. reports a dozen travel-related Zika cases

“Increase incidents of microcephaly in Brazil, which is linked to acquiring the virus while pregnancy”, said Dr. Daniel Skiest, chief of infectious diseases at Baystate Medical Center.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the first Zika virus in Taiwan has been detected at the Taoyuan International Airport.

“There have been three local cases right here in Florida, two here in Dade County from two people coming from Colombia”, Bolivar said. More than 3,500 cases of microcephaly have been reported in the South American country, and 46 babies have died, according to reports.

The CDC said areas pregnant women should not travel include Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Women who are considering getting pregnant should talk to their doctors before visiting the countries covered by the alert. The agency warned all travelers to these areas that they take precautions and avoid mosquito bites. Zika virus often produces flu-like symptoms like fever, headaches and joint pain as well as skin rashes and conjunctivitis (red eyes).

The Zika virus has already killed five babies in the country, said the Health Ministry.

At least one species of mosquito common in Florida and the Gulf Coast, Aedes aegypti, can spread Zika, but it’s not known whether other mosquitoes ranging farther north in the country can also transmit the virus.

Zika virus has been around for about 60 years and originated in Africa. “However, recent chikungunya and dengue outbreaks in the United States suggest that Zika outbreaks in the US mainland may be relatively small and focal”, he said.

There is no current antiviral treatment available for the Zika virus. Concerned about the Zika virus spreading, the CDC also recommends that pregnant women returning from those locales be screened, tested and monitored for symptoms of Zika virus infection if they show any symptoms.

But there’s mounting evidence linking the infection to a birth defect called microcephaly, in which the head is smaller than normal and the brain may not have developed properly.

“If the person who has bitten by the mosquito is a pregnant woman, then there is a very high likely hood that the fetus will develop abnormalities of the brain”, he added. “You just have to keep it on your mind”, said traveler John Patterson. Of paramount concern is protecting pregnant women from bites, as well as those who plan to become pregnant.