US urges condom use or abstinence to avoid Zika virus

So, the agency is advising men returning from Zika virus affected areas to use condoms, or abstain from sex with their pregnant partner through duration of her pregnancy.

While the alert is focused on pregnant women, the CDC is also making sure men who travel to Zika-prone areas are aware that they can pass it on by having sex with their partner. Health officials said a person in Texas who had not traveled to an outbreak area was infected through sex.

The Zika virus is getting worldwide attention after infecting thousands of people in Central and South America, and particularly because it is suspected of causing birth defects, though that link has not been confirmed.

To address the possibility of sexually transmitted Zika – which health officials say is likely rare – the CDC updated its recommendations on Friday.

It has been identified in a pregnant woman who recently returned from travelling to Colombia.

The Zika virus has many Southern Californians concerned, especially those with ties to the hardest hit nation: Brazil.

The Zika virus was first discovered by researchers in Uganda’s Zika Forest in 1947 but its recent explosive spread through Brazil and French Polynesia has sparked the World Health Organisation to declare a public health emergency. However, it remains unclear if the virus can be spread by saliva and urine.

Traces of Zika’s genetic material were detected in saliva and urine during the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, but the Brazilian authorities say this is the first time “active” virus has been detected.

As of February 3, a total of 35 Zika virus disease cases have been reported in the United States, but all have been from people traveled outside the country.

The US Centers for Disease Control believes a recent case of Zika was spread through sex. Concern has spiked because the virus is apparently causing some babies in Brazil to be born with microcephaly, a condition marked by small heads and brains.

It said pregnant women in affected countries must also have access to counselling and technology to make informed choices, including whether to abort foetuses with microcephaly.

Although sexual transmission of the virus is possible, mosquito bites are still the primary way Zika is transmitted.