Zika Virus Arrives in Ontario

The Public Health Agency of Canada issued its first travel notice in mid-January following other confirmed cases of Canadians returning from Central and South America with Zika.

There is now no vaccine or medication that protects against Zika virus infection.

Schuchat said the U.S. government is “very concerned” about a surge of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. Caribbean territory of Puerto Rico when the weather warms up in mid-year, and “extremely concerned” about the impact Zika can have on Haiti, where dengue is endemic.

Meanwhile, also on Friday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff called for a joint effort in the fight against the Zika virus.

The unidentified woman was 61 to 80 years old, the department said.

Testing for the Zika virus is now being performed by Public Health Ontario and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

He said that although the United States recently reported a case of the Zika virus being transmitted sexually, it is still regarded as a very rare occurrence.

It is recommended that pregnant women and those considering becoming pregnant discuss their travel plans with their health care provider to assess their risk and consider postponing travel to areas where the Zika virus is circulating in the Americas.

The man acquired the virus in South America before travelling to South Africa.

“We may see an exponential increase in numbers as we get closer to the mosquito season”, said Dr. Anil Mangla with Metro Health.

Brazil is at the heart of an worldwide scare over Zika, which has been linked to the serious birth defect microcephaly in babies born to infected women.

Williams urged any Ontarians who have been to Zika-prone areas and are exhibiting similar symptoms to be checked out by a doctor. Tonga has declared a Zika epidemic after five cases were confirmed and more than 260 suspected infections were identified.

FILE – Mothers with their children, who have microcephaly, await medical care at the Hospital Oswaldo Cruz, in Recife, Brazil, Jan. 26, 2016. That condition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, is a potentially life-threatening birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected.

The CDC advises pregnant women against traveling to affected areas.

The number of Canadians infected with the Zika virus has risen to nine. Scientists are researching the potential link between microcephaly, Guillain-Barre and Zika virus to try to understand it better.