Government says 3 Canadians infected with Zika virus after travel

In French Polynesia, where an outbreak is ongoing, three per cent of asymptomatic blood donors had the virus.

Only about 20 percent of those infected with the virus become symptomatic.

The virus is transmitted through mosquitoes, and once a prenant woman is infected, it can spread to her fetus.

The WHO said there is now no vaccine or treatment for the virus, a major cause for concern given the projections of 4 million infections in the Americas alone within the next year.

How do you treat Zika infection?

The Zika virus was discovered in 1947 in a rhesus monkey in Uganda. The virus, however, has been linked to birth defects if contracted by pregnant women. He says the mosquito that carries the virus is not established in Canada and is not adapted to the country’s climate.

Others states with a confirmed cases include Texas, Hawaii, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Arkansas, Virginia, California and Minnesota. It is unclear whether in pregnant women the virus crosses the placenta and causes microcephaly. Some babies born with microcephaly will go on to live normal lives, but they’re the rare exception.

What are the symptoms of Zika infection? . The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). “It’s along the Gulf Coast of the United States but doesn’t come much further north than that”.

“One is that this mosquito is not here, that transmits these diseases, which is a really good thing”.

How can Zika be contained?

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has this week sent an update on the Zika virus infection to public health ministries and health professionals in the Pacific Islands region.

Loren Robinson, deputy secretary for health promotion and disease prevention at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said pregnant women should take caution when planning a vacation. Hospitalization for the Zika virus is uncommon.

The Zika virus is found in tropical locales with large mosquito populations.

Those who have suffered an unexplained fever while travelling, or have been diagnosed with the virus, should avoid sex without a condom for six months after their return. The possibility that the Zika virus and this condition are linked only emerged in October when Brazil saw a huge upsurge in the number of cases of microcephaly.

Zika was discovered in Africa in 1947 but did not spread widely in the Western Hemisphere until a May outbreak in Brazil, according to a New York Times fact sheet.