Spain reports first known European case of Zika-infected pregnant woman

Gonzalo Vazquez, an environmental science researcher at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, said any transmission beyond Florida is likely to remain tightly contained because most tourists returning north aren’t likely to be bitten by any mosquitoes during the winter. This covers Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough, and Santa Rosa counties.

Among the countries hit by the virus are Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Surinam, El Salvador, Venezuela, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Saint Martin, Guyana, Haiti and Bolivia.

Florida officials have declared a public health emergency in four counties with confirmed Zika virus cases, underscoring the increasing concern in the United States.

“A number of travellers infected with Zika have entered Europe, but the disease has not been transmitted further, as the mosquito is still inactive”.

“Almost all cases of the virus are acquired through mosquito bites and not through human-to-human contact, so those who have been in an affected country need to be particularly mindful of the signs and symptoms of the infection”.

Florida is, therefore, particularly focused on pregnant women who have been advised not to travel to areas where the virus is present.

A once rare mosquito-borne virus called Zika was recently found to be spreading rapidly through the American continent.

Dr. Mehra says in adults the virus isn’t fatal, but can cause some minor symptoms including joint pain, rash and a fever.

The Pan American Health Organization, the WHO’s arm for the Americas, said it needed an estimated $8.5 million to help countries in the region respond to the Zika threat.

Scott said he wanted to get 1,000 tests from the CDC that test for antibodies for the Zika virus, so that any pregnant women who were in Zika-affected countries can get tested to see if they were actually infected.

Growing concerns over the Zika virus have some experts calling for this summer’s Olympic Games in Brazil to be re-scheduled, postponed or even cancelled. Illness is often mild and typically resolves within a week. The vaccine is actually recommended only during the late stage of pregnancy (27 to 36 weeks), so it’s not possible for the drug to have a significant effect on a baby’s brain or skull development.

Drugmakers globally are racing to produce a vaccine for Zika, but producing a safe vaccine is strewn with hurdles and full regulatory approval could take years.

“You can’t predict what it’s going to do”. However, reports have been confirmed of Zika being sexually transmitted in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott also has assembled a task force to determine how state officials should respond to infectious diseases like the Zika virus.

The organizing committee for the Rio Olympics – set to start in August – said it is anxious about the spread of the virus, after health officials warned pregnant woman to stay away.