Zika Infects 3100 Pregnant Women In Colombia

Mario Tama/Getty ImagesHealth officials have warned that the untreatable Zika virus can be transmitted through saliva. “We know that we must be prepared for the worst even as we hope for the best”.

When did the major concerns about Zika virus begin to arise? The release stated the Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito, though there also have been reports of transmission through sexual contact.

Those who are symptomatic usually develop a fever, red eyes and rashes. To date, a cause-and-effect relationship between the virus and the birth defect of microcephaly (small head) has not been proven. The brain could have some problem in its development during the baby’s stay inside the womb, or it could also stop from growing after the child is born. Carnival is seen as a test of whether the Zika virus may scare tourists away from visiting Brazil during the Olympics scheduled for August and September.

A vaccine or an effective treatment is still a long way off. Immediate responses, such as increasing access to birth control and abortion, face stiff legal and cultural resistance in the affected region. The symptoms of infection by this particular virus are normally mild.

The virus is suspected of causing two serious complications, though it has not been scientifically linked to either: microcephaly in babies, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Lucas County Health Commissioner Dr. David Grossman said there are other known cases of people in the United States who contracted the virus when traveling to countries where it is widespread, but those cases have been limited to states with warmer climates than Ohio.

Bradley said at this point, scientists are trying to understand if there are other contributing factors that’s amplifying the impact of Zika virus on pregnant women, such as malnutrition or exposure to hazardous substances.

In short, it could be a combination of factors. But if Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos is to be believed then Zika and microcephaly are not interlinked.

Most patients recover, but the syndrome can sometimes be deadly.

Brazil entered the alcohol-fueled Carnival season Friday, a time when people commonly kiss strangers they meet at huge street parties.

There is now no vaccine or medicine for Zika. Luiza was born in October with microcephaly and her mother was infected with the Zika virus after a mosquito bite.

So far, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been the primary mosquitoes involved with spreading Zika, Bradley said.

“In the South, particularly in this area, travel to the Caribbean is just so prevalent”, Garcia said”.

Another concern is the disease carrying mosquito itself.

“We call them snow birds”, said Hugh Riley, secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO).

So, yet again, as a new virus emerges we need to be concerned but not panic.

The geographical distribution of Zika virus has been steadily increasing since it was first detected in the Americas in 2015.