CDC to doctors: Ask pregnant women about trips to Zika-infected areas

Reports from Brazil say mothers who were infected with Zika virus while pregnant had “poor pregnancy outcomes” or babies with microcephaly, a birth defect where a baby’s head is small.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is alerting the public to the potential of contracting Zika virus while traveling overseas.

Zika-infected mosquitos are not found in the Midwest, but Shah said pregnant women who travel to Puerto Rico, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guyana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela are at risk. The company will release these genetically modified mosquitoes in the wild to decrease the populations of the Aedes aegypti that spreads Zika virus, dengue fever and chikungunya.

Zika, a tropical virus spread by mosquitoes, is suspected of causing severe birth defects in Brazil and has since been found in Hawaii.

Zika is not transmitted from person to person; instead, it is carried by mosquitoes from person to person.

When traveling to countries where Zika virus has been reported, all travelers should take steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as using use insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and trousers, and staying in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens. “[The] virus is inching closer to Jamaica as several of our Caribbean neighbours have reported cases”, he said. “Because of the growing evidence that there is a link between Zika virus and microcephaly, we thought it was very important to warn people as soon as possible”.

On Friday, in light of the CDC and confirmed past infection in the newborn, DOH sent a Medical Advisory to physicians across the state as a reminder that while the Zika virus is not endemic in the USA, it can be acquired in a number of countries, and travel history should always be considered.

In addition, there is concern for pregnant women.

The infant’s mother had lived in Brazil last May and probably was bitten by a mosquito then, when she was early in her pregnancy, the health department said.

Most of the 3,530 babies the Health Ministry said had been born with microcephaly in the country since October 2015 had been concentrated in the country’s poorest regions, such as the north-east. Women who are pregnant are among those at the highest risks associated with the virus as it is associated with birth defects.

By the end of previous year, cases of the virus had been confirmed in roughly one out of six Colombian municipalities located less than 2,200 meters (7,220 feet) above sea level.

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which causes mild fever and rash.