DHH: Investigating possible cases of Zika in Louisiana

“If you consider this a flood, we’re trying to turn off the spigot”.

A Yolo County resident who recently traveled outside of the United States has tested positive for the Zika virus, county officials said Wednesday. It also may be possible to spread the virus from a mother to her baby during pregnancy.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is suspected of causing microcephaly, a rare birth defect that causes an abnormally small head, which can indicate underlying brain damage.

The Zika virus is spread by certain types of mosquitoes biting an infected person, and then biting an uninfected person.

Health officials say that between 20 and 25 percent of those infected with the Zika virus actually develop symptoms which include joint pain, a low-grade fever, red eyes, physical weakness, headaches and rash. 15, 2016, USA health officials are telling pregnant women to avoid travel to Latin America and Caribbean countries with outbreaks of a tropical illness linked to birth defects.

The Zika virus was first discovered in Africa in 1947. Person-to-person transmissions have been reported via blood transfusion and sexual contact.

Despite a recent spike in Zika cases, Hennessy has said there is “no risk” to the general public, as Zika is not able to be transferred from person to person.

Some scientists have warned the virus could cause the paralyzing condition Guillain-Barre Syndrome in adults, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says they cannot confirm the link.

The CDC’s chief pathologist had earlier told the STAT website that about three U.S. women suffered miscarriages as a result of contracting Zika virus from outside the country, but did not offer any supportive details of the incident.

Health official have also said men who have been to a Zika outbreak region should use condoms if they have sex with a pregnant woman – for the entire duration of the pregnancy.

The Oregon woman had traveled to a country where Zika is in circulation, and was experiencing symptoms of the illness when she was tested, Oregon public health physician Dr. Richard Leman said.