South Africa confirms first case of Zika virus

Pregnant women in any trimester should consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is happening. The sudden rise of this number to 500 has resulted in the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak an global health emergency. Current evidence suggests that Zika virus is likely to persist and spread in the Americas and the South Pacific. People who do travel to areas where Zika is being transmitted should take steps to avoid mosquito bites.

A Colombian man has become South Africa’s first recorded case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Shared Zika virus guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) with physicians through the Health Division’s Internet physician portal, email and fax.

In addition, more than 13 countries in the Americas have reported sporadic Zika virus infections indicating rapid geographic expansion of Zika virus.

Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced at his February 10 State of the County event the county would be redistributing funds from its West Nile virus budget to combat Zika, of which no cases have been confirmed in the state.

During large outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015 respectively, national health authorities reported potential neurological and auto-immune complications of Zika virus disease.

Outside Brazil, Colombia has the greatest number of cases of Zika, but that nation has not seen any increase in the number of microcephaly births. For the latest updates on countries affected by Zika virus, please visit the World Health Organization’s website. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. The United States and other countries are recommending that pregnant women stay away. Although the risk of virus establishment in Canada is low, there is ongoing risk to Canadians travelling to outbreak regions.

“What we’re trying to do is to better define the association between children that have been diagnosed with microcephaly and whether or not they might have evidence of congenital Zika virus infection”, said Dr. Erin Staples, a CDC medical epidemiologist leading the study in Paraíba.

Ontario has its first confirmed case of Zika virus in a person who had travelled to Colombia.

DOH has a robust mosquito-borne illness surveillance system and is working with the CDC, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and local county mosquito control boards to ensure that the proper precautions are being taken to protect Florida residents and visitors.

Engaged in sexual contact with a person who has traveled to, or resided in, an area with active Zika virus transmission during the prior three months. At this time, we do not know how long the Zika virus can be sexually transmitted from a male partner.

Even Pope Francis has weighed in on the crisis, suggesting this week that that the Roman Catholic Church would condone the use of contraception by women at risk of contracting the Zika virus.