CDC issues guidelines to prevent spread of Zika virus through sexual contact

Men with a pregnant sex partner who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission should consistently and correctly use condoms during sexual activity or abstain from sexual activity for the duration of the pregnancy.

“Anyone developing symptoms within two weeks of returning to Nebraska from a Zika-affected area should notify his or her physician”, said Shavonna Lausterer, Director of the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health and Wellness.

As the Zika virus outbreak continues, including in wide swaths of Central and South America, concerns are growing, especially for pregnant women because the mosquito-borne virus has been linked with a serious birth defect called microcephaly, characterized by an abnormally small head and brain.

The Zika virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, was declared a “global health emergency” by the World Health Organization after an outbreak in Latin America escalated the number of confirmed cases.

The health agency also on Friday updated its guidelines for testing and monitoring pregnant women who have traveled to Zika areas.

Obstetricians have said that since 80 per cent of those infected by the virus show no symptoms, many women have no way of knowing early enough to make an informed choice about their unborn child. “We know this is anxiety provoking from women who are pregnant and their families”, Frieden said in a conference call with reporters.

“Just like a hurricane, we have to ensure Florida is safe”, Scott said yesterday, calling it prudent to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. And no pregnant woman should travel to any of the affected countries while she is pregnant.

Particularly in Brazil, where the first Zika case was found, out of a total 345 Indonesians who live in the country, none were found to have been infected by the Zika virus, the report said.

It has also been found in urine and saliva.

No cases of the mosquito-born virus have been reported in the United Kingdom, but two adults have been confirmed to have had it in Ireland.

While Thompson told the television station that the case of sexual transmission is “a game-changer”, he added that he didn’t want people in Dallas County to overreact.

Researchers also are investigating a possible link – in adults – between Zika infection and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition involving numbness and temporary paralysis. Sexual transmission is believed to be much less common than transmission through mosquito bites.