Gov’t says three Canadians infected with Zika virus after travel

At a special meeting on Thursday in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said the virus – which has been linked to birth defects and neurological problems was becoming much more of a threat.

“The symptoms are common symptoms; fever, joint pain, pink-eye and a rash”. But it is the possible link to babies born with underdeveloped skulls and brains, a condition known as microcephaly, that is creating anxiety for governments and pregnant women across Latin America. “However, if you do have travel plans, particularly if you are a pregnant woman, if you plan to travel anywhere in the Caribbean, Central, South America, this is something you should discuss with your clinician”, Wolfe added. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, which are eventually expected in the USA, and there are questions and concerns about other ways it could be spread.

“Travelers can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites”, the agency said in its recent travel warning.

Zika has also been seen in the United States, with one reported case of a baby born with microcephaly related to Zika in Hawaii, and three cases of the virus related to travel to Zika-infected countries reported in NY state.

Dr. Warner is also the director of the TTUHSC Travel Medicine Clinic.

For now, there is no cure, and the World Health Organization says it could take years to get a vaccine. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it hard for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. “But we don’t really have all the information right now”, said Anne Schuchat, MD of Centers for Disease Control.

Dr Lokman was quoted as saying that the risks were high for Malaysians because they had no immunity to the Zika virus, making it likely that the disease could spread very quickly.

The number of Zika cases in the United States is on the rise.

A case of Zika virus has been confirmed in a MA resident.