First case of Zika virus confirmed in Massachusetts

She added that the increased incidence of microcephaly is particularly alarming, as it places a heart-breaking burden on families and communities.

The department announced the third IL case on its website Thursday.

Malaysia is at high risk for the spread of the Zika virus due to a large Aedes mosquito population and a lack of immunity, the Health Ministry said on Friday (Jan 29). The CDC is urging pregnant women to postpone traveling to areas where the Zika Virus transmission is happening.

The theory that Zika causes microcephaly was first aired in October when doctors in Brazil noticed more babies born with the devastating condition during an outbreak of the virus in that country.

The number of cases of infected people continues to grow and at least 20 people in the United States have contracted the virus.

Alberta Health said it’s important pregnant women discuss their travel plans with their healthcare providers, and consider not travelling to areas where Zika is circulating. Until then it is free to wreck infant lives unless the mosquito that spreads it is checked.

The emergency meeting is partly to ensure that national authorities do not impose inappropriate travel or trade restrictions, a senior World Health Organization official said.

Millions are expected to contract the illness, which is spread when an infected mosquito bites a person.

Zika has been detected mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean. A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established, but is strongly suspected.

He said specialized testing is needed to diagnose Zika, since patients feel the same as with other tropical diseases, like dengue, with fever, joint pain and a rash.

But even though the insect that carries the disease can be found in the Southeast, including SC, experts say for now, we don’t have anything to worry about.

“There’s no mosquitoes around so we don’t have to worry about him being bitten and transmitting it to someone else”, Dr. Marshall said.