Strong evidence of link between Zika and microcephaly — CDC

The CDC says pregnant women who have recently traveled to an area with Zika should talk to a healthcare provider about their travel even if they don’t feel sick.

So far, the epidemic has seemingly been limited to Brazil. But, it might take more time to get additional kits, the news service said.

The Alabama Department of Public Health reports the first confirmed travel-related case of Zika virus in an Alabama resident. “The illness may include a fever, a rash which is sometimes itchy, and joint pains”, Dr Taylor said.

The USOC’s decision to hire the specialists was first reported by USA Today. Increasing evidence in Brazil also is linking Zika to microcephaly and other suspected neurological complications.

The U.S. Olympic Committee is hiring two infectious disease specialists to counsel any Olympians who might have concerns about the Zika outbreak in Brazil.

The ministry said Brazilian researchers found the virus in the body of a 20-year-old woman in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte, who died last April from respiratory problems.

There is now no cure or vaccine for the virus which, in most people, causes mild symptoms.

Brazil remains the most affected country, with estimates suggesting that somewhere between 440,000 to 1.3 million people have been infected since December.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr Roscoe Taylor said it was unlikely the virus would spread to mosquitos in Australia.

The WHO has declared the rise in Zika-linked birth defects an global emergency. Finally, the development of a vaccine and treatments must be a top priority.

What and where is the Zika virus?

Some virus infections in pregnancy, such as Rubella or German measles infections especially early in pregnancy, can spread from the mother and infect the cells of the fetus and cause direct injury to it, said Jesse Goodman, an infectious diseases doctor at Georgetown University.

There have been 13 confirmed cases in the Sunshine state since 2014.

Ms Hennessy said there was no risk to the public as the Zika virus was not transmitted person to person, and was not present in Australian mosquitoes. But, some Americans have returned to the United States with infections from affected countries in South America, Central America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands, the AP reported.