Health officials: Zika virus case confirmed in Travis County

In addition, another Zika-infected traveler – someone in Florida, who recently had been to Central America – has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a CDC official said. In nearly every instance, people are infected via a mosquito bite, specifically from an Aedes species mosquito (A. aegypti or A. albopictus). In the last four months, authorities have recorded close to 4,000 cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants. As for men with partners who are not pregnant, they should “consider” abstinence or condom use if they visit or live in a Zika-affected country.

The virus can spread from an infected mosquito bite, and can also be transmitted from person to person through sexual activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“Consistent and correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of sexual transmission of many infections, including those caused by other viruses”.

Zika has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains in Brazil.

The US agency also updated another interim guidance recommending pregnant women without symptoms of Zika virus disease can be offered testing two to 12 weeks after returning from areas with ongoing Zika virus spreading.

However, just two weeks into confirmation of the strong link to birth defects, the CDC is scrambling round-the-clock to boost the supply of test kits, he said, working with private companies to expand the supply.

Three cases of the Zika virus have been reported in D.C., all from people who traveled outside of the United States, the city’s health department said.

Representatives of major public health institutions of the two countries will meet later this month to discuss the issue, the report said.

Brazil’s top research institute said on Friday that Zika has been detected in urine and saliva, but added that there is no proof the virus can be transmitted through those fluids.

The virus stays in the blood for about a week, but the CDC is still conducting studies to determine who long the virus would remain in semen.

However he says that the discovery calls for special precaution to be taken with pregnant women.

Infections in pregnant women have been linked to a serious birth defect, microcephaly, although the association is not scientifically confirmed.

He spoke Friday at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro.

“So that also shows that many of these pregnancies are out of their control and countries obviously have to take that into account”, she said.