Florida declares emergency over Zika spread

The action clears the way for crews to take action against the virus, like spraying for mosquitoes.

Miami-Dade in south Florida, Hillsborough in Tampa Bay, Lee County in southwest Florida and Santa Rosa County in Florida Panhandle have all been affected under the executive order.

So far, 48 cases of Zika have been reported in the U.S. All but one of them occurred in travelers infected overseas.

Carissa Etienne, the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) director, earlier said the body needed $8.5 million to help countries tackle the health emergency.

Pregnant women. Nothing is conclusive yet, but Brazil and global health experts are analyzing the link between babies born with microcephaly and the fact their mothers were apparently infected with the virus during pregnancy.

“According to a Dallas County Health Department investigation, a person who recently traveled to an area with Zika virus transmission returned to the United States and developed Zika-like symptoms”, the CDC said in a statement. The CDC recommends that pregnant women planning to travel around any of these areas consult with their doctor prior to the trip.

Florida’s governor has issued a public health emergency in four of the state’s counties after nine residents who had traveled to the Caribbean and Latin America were diagnosed with the Zika virus. They have added that it is advisable that woman should not take any male sexual partner, who lives or has lived in a region affected by Zika virus.

Germany has detected five cases this Wednesday, while India announced they have the very first vaccine against the mosquito-borne virus. The most common symptoms include fever, rash, joint paint, and red eyes. The virus is primarily spread through mosquito bites, but investigators had been exploring the possibility it could be sexually transmitted. But where did this virus come from and what do we know about it?

One of the key challenges in terms of measuring the severity of Zika and its believed complications is that the illness shows symptoms in only one of five people who are infected with it. Even then, for most people symptoms are limited to minor, flu-like aches and fever.

“Our Department of Health will continue to be in constant communication with all county health offices, hospitals and the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)”.

The virus has also been associated with a rise of microcephaly birth defect cases.