Zika spreads to US: Nine pregnant travellers suffering with killer virus

“There is no immediate threat from Zika if people have not traveled to known affected areas”, said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer. Individuals who are pregnant and have traveled to an area with Zika transmission should talk to their healthcare provider about testing.

So far, 107 travel-related Zika infections have been diagnosed in 24 states and the District of Columbia, including the pregnant woman. An up-to-date list of Zika-affected countries can be found at the CDC Zika virus Web page.

The nine women reported to have the illness were infected after visiting or living in places with Zika outbreaks including Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil.

In its report Friday, the CDC did not give the women’s hometowns; state health officials have said there were two pregnant women with Zika in IL, three in Florida and one in Hawaii, who gave birth to a baby with microcephaly. Although death is rare, one out of five people infected with Zika virus can become very ill, according to the CDC. Some symptoms include fever, a flat red rash and joint pain. There is no vaccine or medications to prevent or treat Zika infections, according to the agency.

While the virus often causes no symptoms, experts are particularly concerned about pregnant women who are exposed to it because the virus appears to be linked to a recent surge in Brazil of cases of microcephaly, a birth defect in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. “Scientists are working hard to understand whether Zika is the culprit”.

Pregnant women should consider not traveling to the Olympic Games as the Zika outbreak in Brazil is dynamic, according to CDC, which also provided recommendations to travelers to help them take steps to stay safe and healthy during their trips. “Anyone who is planning travel to a country with active Zika virus transmission should consult their doctors before leaving, especially if they are pregnant or are considering becoming pregnant”.

The County of San Diego Environmental Health Vector Control Program has been encouraging residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes since 2003, when another virus – the West Nile Virus – showed up in California.

When it comes to prevention, Dr. Frankovich says, “In the USA, mosquito populations are not now carrying the virus, so no special avoidance measures need to be taken”.