Second Case of Zika Virus Confirmed in LA County

Microcephaly is a birth defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, leading to brain damage.

Two women experienced the virus during their second trimester of pregnancy. Two are still pregnant. In recent days, companies from Goldman Sachs Group Inc.to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. have added disruption from Zika to the risk factors disclosed to investors in company filings. Pregnant women who “must go” to the Olympics should talk to a health-care provider first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during the trip.

There have been nine confirmed cases of pregnant women with Zika infections in the USA, and the virus has spread to more than 30 countries since its first cases in Brazil last May. Among those who have expressed reluctance is famed US soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo, who said Thursday she may not join her teammates in Brazil due to concerns about Zika. Doctors found the baby had “severe brain abnormalities” at 20 weeks and the virus in the amniotic fluid.

“Our objective is to protect as many pregnant women as possible and that is what we are trying to do”, he said.

The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, muscle and joint pain, malaise and headache. One gave birth to an apparently healthy baby; another is still pregnant.

Families who have experiences with microcephaly are countering abortion activists’ fear mongering, saying that women should be offered education about the condition and support – not abortion.

The Zika virus is spreading and it will reach the United States, it is just a matter of time.

In a situation report updated on Friday, the World Health Organization noted that links between Zika and neurological disorders “remain circumstantial, but a growing body of clinical and epidemiological data points towards a causal role for Zika virus”.

A number of other scientific teams from university labs to major diagnostic companies are working on more portable, low-priced tests that can be more easily used in the field. “This is an extraordinarily unusual occurrence….” Friday, the CDC began investigating 10 additional reports of pregnant travelers with the Zika virus. None of the women was hospitalized.

The CDC has said, however, that Zika leaves the bloodstream within a week and that evidence suggests it doesn’t pose a risk for future pregnancies. “The big challenge right now is we don’t have any interventions”, Beigi said. Now there is no vaccine or specific treatment for Zika.