Zika virus will continue to spread — CDC

The Zika virus is transmitted by bites by the Aedes species of mosquito and has been linked to microcephaly in thousands of babies in Brazil. The World Health Organization has said that about four million people could be infected with the virus by the end of this year.

Bureaucrats told reporters that severe illness from Zika is uncommon, and that it can cause flu-like symptoms, which wear off in a few days. “However, a large majority of people who contract the virus are asymptomatic, and in the case where a person feels symptoms, they are usually mild”.

The virus, which is believed to be causing deformities in children if contracted by pregnant women, is spreading rapidly around the world.

“We do not have a vaccine for Zika yet”. Treatment is similar to that of influenza: rest, fluids, and acetaminophen to relieve fever and pain.

Where are the infected mosquitoes?

A top U.S. health official said Thursday that it could take years to find a vaccine to prevent the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

The virus has been reported in Africa, South Asia and Polynesia but now it’s also being found in Central and South America.

At Least 31 People Diagnosed With Zika in U.S.. No cases are confirmed yet. Such is the level of alarm that many American countries like El Salvador, Colombia and Ecuador have urged women to postpone pregnancy till 2018. There has been no reported local transmission of the disease in the continental United States.

What should I do if I’m traveling to an affected area? A mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person who already has the disease.

“Eliminate any areas that could breed mosquitoes; for instance, standing water”, said Kawaoka.

The WHO has called a crisis meeting for Monday to determine the worldwide response to Zika, linked to birth defects in babies, saying it’s “spreading explosively”.

Legacy Community Health warned pregnant patients to avoid travel to countries on Centers for Disease Control’s Zika Virus warning list. The ailment results in an abnormally small head in newborns and is associated with various disorders including decreased brain development.