Zika virus discourages many Americans from Latin America travel

While the Zika virus was initially thought to be transmitted through mosquito bites, new cases confirm that a person could get the virus through sexual intercourse with an infected person.

Despite economic distress and Zika virus threats, the parade at the Sambadrome was packed and “blocos”, or street parties, filled the city streets with music, Xinhua reported.

Ever since the discovery of a sexually-transmitted case of Zika, the officials have also asked men who have recently visited Zika-affected countries to use condoms with their pregnant partners.

“Among them are 3,177 pregnant women”, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have already introduced travel warnings to the countries affected by the Zika virus, especially for pregnant women who are at highest risk.

He also stressed that the Aedes aegpyti mosquito, which spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever as well as Zika, remains the virus’ main vector and said the fight against the mosquito should be a top priority. There is no vaccine or treatment.

Santos said the government was now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease.

Some municipalities in both Brazil and Venezuela have announced that they have canceled their annual Carnival celebrations because of the unknown dangers of the new, and rapidly spreading Zika virus.

Officials say the municipality will instead invest in fumigating the town, house by house, in order to wipe out the spread of the virus, which has caused the spread of the Guillain Barre disease and has lead to deformations in newborns.

“Mortality is high”, Gaviria said in a phone interview a day after meeting with health ministers from around Latin America in Montevideo to address the crisis caused by the spread of Zika.

“Men who live in or travel to areas of active Zika infections and who have a pregnant sexual partner should use latex condoms correctly, or refrain from sex until the pregnancy has come to term”, Frieden told CNN.

There have been reported cases of Zika being spread via human to human transmission, but there has not been enough cases to suggest that a pattern exists. In addition, authorities are investigating more than 3,000 suspected cases of microcephaly to see if the babies really do have the defect and if Zika is the cause. Public health officials say cross-border migrations accelerate transmission of the virus.

The Fiocruz team studied samples from two patients who showed symptoms of Zika and tested positive for the illness.

Most of the mothers who had babies with microcephaly were apparently infected during the first trimester but scientists say there is some evidence that the birth defect can occur later in pregnancy.

In order to provide some clarity and information about the virus, a doctor with the Indiana State Department of Health stopped by Daybreak.

The Institute Pasteur estimates that about 80 per cent of infected people do not develop any symptoms.