Strong signs birth defects are tied to mosquito virus — CDC

Two pregnant Illinois women have contracted the Zika virus while traveling overseas, the Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday.

It’s not entirely clear if Zika virus actually does cause birth defects but there’s some strong evidence that it might.

The Zika virus has little if any chance of spreading in the United States, the CDC said, largely thanks to the Aedes mosquito’s distaste of cold weather and air-conditioning. About 80 percent of people who get Zika virus don’t have symptoms.

JAMAICAN WOMEN are being encouraged to delay becoming pregnant for the next six to 12 months as the zika virus (ZIKV) comes closer to the island.

Since the 1950s has been known to occur within a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. The virus is not spread from person to person. More information about Zika virus can be found on the CDC website. Those infected can show fever, rash and joint pain that may last several days to a week.

However, because there is neither a vaccine to prevent the illness, nor medicine to treat it, the guidelines recommend avoiding travel to those areas.

Why is it a concern now?

Physicians are monitoring the women’s health and pregnancies, health department said.

The government action follows reports that at least 3,500 cases of microcephaly appeared in Brazil between October 2015 and January 2016, the CDC said.

Annie Lin, expectant mom and owner of Austin-based baby boutique A Little Bundle, told HLN in a phone interview that she recently canceled a trip to Hawaii, and this is the second vacation her family has canceled due to virus threats.

Last week, the first USA case of a baby infected in the womb was reported in Hawaii.

Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, French Guiana, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Paraguay, St. Martin, Suriname and Venezuela have reported Zika cases. Measures include reducing instances of pooled and stagnant water, where mosquitoes reproduce, targeting breeding areas with insecticides, and urging people to wear insect repellent and long sleeved shirts.

Dalley said Monday in a statement that pregnant women should take extra precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

Currently, there are no widely available diagnostic tests to detect Zika infection, so doctors will have to rely on the use of ultrasound tests to look for signs of unusually small head size in the developing fetus. It’s especially problematic in Brazil, where it’s appears to be connected to a serious birth defect.