Iowa sees 2 new travel-related cases of Zika virus

Four others are probable amid an investigation into 14 potential cases. CDC researchers in Brazil and Puerto Rico are perplexing to establish either a pathogen can means microcephaly, a condition in that babies are innate with abnormally tiny heads, and a singular paralyzing condition, Guillain-Barre, that can be fatal. “Suddenly seeing something this severe and this new in such numbers is unprecedented”, said Dr. William Dobyns with the Children’s Research Institute. Chan underscored that scientists are still working to determine causality between the virus and the birth defect.

Those numbers reflect confirmed cases as of February 17. Friday, the CDC began investigating 10 additional reports of pregnant travelers with the Zika virus. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that can carry the virus are found in the tropics and Southern United States.

Since August, the CDC has tested 257 pregnant women for Zika; eight were positive, and a state lab confirmed a ninth. It also says men with pregnant sex partners who live in or have traveled to a Zika-affected area should abstain from sex or use condoms during sex for the duration of the pregnancy.

For any pregnant women who still intend to travel to Brazil this summer, the CDC stated that advice should be sought from their physicians before going ahead with their trips. The agency hopes those numbers will decrease due to its travel advisory.

So far, Brazil has been worst affected by the virus, with 1.5million reported cases.

Zika causes headaches, fever and a rash, though most people with the virus never show symptoms. CDC has alist of Zika symptoms on its website.

The case in Paris is the first publicly reported case of transmission in Europe, where the spread of the disease is lessened because mosquitos are inactive in winter. “Other reputable bodies have issued guidelines ahead of it”, he said. The health agency has also cautioned pregnant women against travel to Brazil to attend the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Zika virus infection has been confirmed in two non-traveling women whose only known risk factor was sexual contact with a male partner who had recently traveled to an area with ongoing transmission, the CDC said Friday. “We did not anticipate that we’d see this many sexually transmitted cases of Zika”, Frieden said.

“Until I know more, I don’t feel like I can make a really informative decision”, she said in an interview on CBS’ “This Morning” program.

Throughout Latin America, home to some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, there have been controversial calls to lighten restrictions on the practice in the face of the Zika outbreak.

For more information on the Zika virus and prevention, visit the World Health Organization website or the Centers for Disease Control website.