More U.S. Cases Of Zika Virus Have Been Confirmed

The initial confusion in the reporting can be attributed to the fact that the virus is not a notifiable disease in the European Union, which means that member countries are not required to notify the ECDC about reported cases, ABC News reported. In Brazil, health officials have noticed a sharp spike in cases of those birth defects amid the Zika virus outbreak; the connection is still being investigated. Health authorities say one case of microcephaly and 12 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome are suspected to be linked to Zika.

“If the head is small, the brain is small and that means there’s something wrong”, said Dr. Frank Esper, an infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals-Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

It has been reported by The Independent that several people in Germany had tested positive for the virus, as well as cases confirmed in Denmark and Britain.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, however almost 80% don’t show any symptoms. There is no vaccine or treatment available for the virus.

Women in El Salvador, South America have been warned to avoid getting pregnant for two years to prevent birth defects from the Zika virus.

The WHO cautioned that no definitive link between Zika and fetal brain damage has been proven, though director general Margaret Chan called the possibility “extremely worrisome”. Russell said. “So anyone traveling should be coming to us if they’re in Flathead County”. Officials respected the individual’s privacy, and released a statement saying other were not at risk of catching the virus from the infected person.

In these countries, mosquitoes are spreading the virus to people.

The disease is spread when certain species of mosquito bite an infected person, and then go on to bite another person.

However, most of the areas where the virus is of major concern are not your typical tourist destinations, he said.

However, as the spread of Zika continues across Brazil, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised pregnant women to reconsider travel to Brazil, Puerto Rico, and 21 other countries and territories with Zika outbreaks.

Lucey is a great fan of the agency’s handling of Zika, and points to the CDC website as the best source of public information about the virus.