WHO’s Chan praises Brazilian government response to Zika

And while the virus may be linked to birth defects when pregnant women are infected, for everyone else, it’s not unsafe.

“The Zika virus is very tricky, very tenacious, very hard”.

The CDC extended the period to prevent the spread of the Zika because there have been some cases of sexual transmission, taking in account World Health Organization guidelines. “We have learnt lessons from dengue and from chikungunya outbreaks in the past, so we should expect to see more cases, we should expect this is going to be a long journey”.

Zika is rapidly spreading through Latin America, and scientists are studying the virus’ possible connection to babies born with unusually small heads.

A total of 32 cases have now been reported in Florida. The virus has since spread to 32 countries and territories in the Americas, and travel-related cases have been increasing in the U.S. The CDC has issued a travel warning to areas affected by the mosquito-borne virus, and the World Health Organization announced last week a strategic, $56 million plan to combat the recent outbreak.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. “People who have traveled to affected countries who I guess were bit by mosquitoes there”.

But acting chief health officer Sonya Bennett stressed there was “almost nil” chance of the disease establishing a foothold in the local mosquito population and a “very very low” risk to pregnant women.

An alternative explanation that has gone viral is a toxic larvicide introduced into the drinking water by the Brazilian and Argentinian governments in areas where Zika is also active.

“In all events for which information is available, travelers were men and reported symptom onset was within two weeks before the non-traveling female partner’s symptoms began”, the CDC report said. In December, the first local transmission of the Zika virus infection was reported in the Caribbean.

Queenslanders undergoing dengue fever testing will also automatically be tested for Zika virus, the state’s health minister says.

In Michigan, an Ingham County woman contracted the virus while traveling in a country where it is transmitted and experienced symptoms consistent with the disease after returning to Michigan.