Florida readies for a fight with Zika virus

USA health officials issued guidelines Friday to prevent the sexual transmission of the Zika virus, telling men who have been to outbreak areas to use condoms during sex with pregnant women.

The discovery of the Zika virus in saliva has sparked disagreement among Brazilian scientists about whether pregnant women should be advised to avoid kissing anyone showing possible symptoms.

Earlier this week, United States health officials confirmed the first case of sexually-transmitted Zika, involving a person who had traveled to Venezuela and infected a sexual partner in Texas upon return.

We advise people travelling to affected areas to reduce the risk of themselves being bitten by wearing mosquito repellent, long sleeves and pants.

The timing, and the fact that numerous mothers were diagnosed with Zika or reported symptoms, have caused alarm over an apparent link with the virus. “We know this is anxiety provoking from women who are pregnant and their families”, Frieden said in a conference call with reporters.

But since October, Brazil has reported 404 confirmed cases of microcephaly where the baby’s head is abnormally small – up from 147 in 2014 – plus 3,670 suspected cases. Another report today from Brazil suggests the virus can also be found in saliva and urine. As a result, several Latin American governments including Brazil are urging women not to get pregnant for up to two years.

To date, the mosquito-borne virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas, including some where sexual violence is rampant, Al Hussein said.

The Zika outbreak began in Brazil in October 2015 and since then it has spread across more than 25 countries and territories.

The virus is transmitted mainly through the bite of the Aedes aegypti species of mosquito.

Rockland has joined the global health emergency that is the Zika virus.

Franca said “it’s just a matter of time” before all Brazilian blood transfusions can be tested for Zika. He sought to assure people that Florida, a hub for cruises and flights to Central and South America where the outbreak is, was safe.

But Frieden stressed that there is a lot that remains unknown about Zika.

Director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) Tom Frieden attends the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, January 25, 2016.

The state had a spike in dengue cases in 2013, with 22 people contracting the virus in Martin County.