Race to find vaccine, as mosquito-born Zika virus grips Americas

Some 3,500 cases have been diagnosed in babies born to Brazilian women, many of whom were infected with Zika, and though there is no definitive evidence, the suspected link is strong enough to warrant urgent study. “That birth defect is a small head and brain called microcephaly”.

Dr. Ray Pontzer, an infectious disease specialist in Allegheny County, says Africa and Asia have been spared.

Taylor says women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, consult a health-care practitioner before travelling to a region where the virus is circulating. The symptoms are typically mild and include headaches, achiness, muscle weakness, and rashes. Therefore, DSHSrecommends that all travelers returning to Texas from areas affected by Zika avoid mosquito bites for one week following return or following onset of illness. Sexual transmission of Zika virus may have occurred (a single probable case reported), and in a limited number of cases, the virus has been shown to be present in semen.

Meaning those people didn’t actually get the virus in the U.S.m but Weems said it probably won’t be long before you can.

Pregnant women Maria Camila Davila (L) and Angelica Prato (R), infected by the Zika virus, wait to be attended at the Erasmo Meoz University Hospital in Cucuta, Colombia, on January 25, 2016.

Hall added, “Right now there is essentially no risk of anyone in Virginia acquiring the Zika Virus unless they travel to those countries”. “We need to reassure Canadians that the risk in Canada is very, very low”, Taylor said.

Amid concerns over the rapid spread of the Zika virus, Jamaica confirmed Saturday the virus had spread to its shores, and Colombia reported more than 2,000 pregnant women have been infected.

No. However, a developer told Reuters a vaccine could be ready for emergency use before the end of the year.

“In most people, there are no symptoms at all”, she said about the virus.

Brazil and the United States agreed Friday to launch a high-level bilateral group to develop a vaccine against the Zika virus that has spread rapidly across the Americas and been linked to microcephaly.