CDC director visits Puerto Rico amid Zika outbreak

Zika is rapidly spreading through Latin America and the Caribbean, and health officials in several affected countries have made similar recommendations.

She emphasized that this is just an interim guideline to “hold the tide” of pregnant women in affected areas until officials can improve mosquito control and create a vaccine.

Zika causes only a mild and brief illness, at worst, in most people.

“The new recommendation issued by the World Health Organization that men and women living in Zika endemic areas consider delaying pregnancy is not inherently bad in principle, especially in light of that fact that we do not yet have other effective means to prevent infection, such as a vaccine”, Krubiner told ABC News. El Salvador has advised women to avoid getting pregnant until 2018.

As of June 8, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, none of the 691 Zika cases in the US were locally acquired; all contracted Zika outside the country. Men who had symptoms should wait at least six months, the CDC recommends.

“We are here to put at ease the minds of all residents and tourists coming to the games”, Ricardo Barros said at a news conference Friday.

Zika also can be a hazard to the scientists studying it. Pitt officials said the lab accident occurred last month and the researcher has recovered and returned to work.

“Brazil is one of nearly 60 countries and territories which to-date report continuing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes”. All so far have been infected while traveling overseas.

Florida reported seven more cases of the Zika virus last week, including one in Hillsborough County.

Senator Coons says he’s met with CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden who says the sooner congress acts, the better.

The presence of the mosquito does not necessarily mean it is carrying the virus because it has to bite someone who has the Zika virus in their bloodstream to pass it on to another human being.

As of Tuesday, Florida had totaled 133 Zika cases that didn’t involve pregnant women, including one in Escambia County. Sexual transmission also has been reported in a few cases.

“As you know, I supported fully funding the fight against Zika with emergency funds to the amount of $1.9 billion, which was calculated by experts in federal public health agencies as the appropriate amount of funds to successfully protect the public health of our country against the imposing threat of Zika”, Mr. Rubio wrote Thursday in a letter to all 33 conferees. The Senate and House should promptly come to agreement and pass legislation funding the CDC’s efforts.