Locals health officials discuss Zika virus

Florida Governor Rick Scott updated the public on the Zika virus Thursday asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide testing kits to our state.

The agency has sent out two press releases reminding residents to get rid of potential mosquito breeding sites like standing water and to protect themselves with clothing and mosquito repellant.

“This is an important reminder for travelers to countries with the Zika virus, especially pregnant travelers and those of childbearing age and planning a pregnancy to take all precautions to prevent mosquito bites“, said Dr. Adi Pour, Director of the Douglas County Health Department.

Several travel-related cases have been reported in European Union countries in persons who travelled to affected countries but there has been no autochthonous (arising in that country) Zika virus transmission reported in the European Union and the risk of spread, including Malta, is low.

The ministry also said the number of cases of Zika so far do not pose a serious risk of an epidemic spreading throughout the country.

The virus has since spread and been locally transmitted in more than 30 countries according to the World Health Organization, which has declared a global health emergency over Zika. The antibody test allows the state to see if individuals ever had the Zika virus.

The warning comes because health officials are concerned about a strong link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and a birth defect called microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and face lifelong cognitive impairments. While microcephaly does exist in Egypt, affecting some children every year, there are now no signs of the virus. “I understand that this is a stressful situation for women and families and particularly for women who are pregnant and what we are doing in our efforts is prioritizing all of the work we can do to protect pregnant women”, he said.

As for men and their nonpregnant sex partners, the CDC says they “might consider abstaining from sexual activity or using condoms consistently and correctly during sex”.

The CDC’s counterpart in England, Public Health England, has recommended that women whose partners have traveled to a Zika-affected area avoid getting pregnant for 28 days after a male partner’s return, assuming he is not showing symptoms of the disease.