Zika virus: means pregnant women should be cautious when traveling

The particular mosquito to blame for the Zika virus is the female Aedes Aegypti mosquito, a common mosquito in the warmer Gulf coast states.

The mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus don’t make habitats in South Dakota, but any residents looking to travel in the near future still need to be careful. The NIAID is pursuing at least two approaches to develop a Zika vaccine.

Of the nine active cases in New Zealand at the moment, four are from Samoa and four from Tonga, while the origin of the ninth case is yet to be confirmed. “However, we encourage those traveling to countries with a high risk for Zika transmission – especially those who are pregnant or may become pregnant – to take the utmost care to avoid contracting the virus”.

The organization is deciding how long the deferral for Zika should be, but officials say it would be much shorter than malaria, as the virus stays in the body for a much shorter amount of time.

New York City health officials say three New Yorkers have contracted the Zika virus.

Zika virus is believed to cause neurological problems like microcephaly, a condition of abnormally small head in babies.

Dr. Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, said earlier Friday that the case in that province surfaced after a woman returned from the Caribbean with flu-like symptoms in early January.

“Travelers can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites”, the agency said in its recent travel warning. The outbreak began in Brazil previous year and has now spread to 24 countries in the Americas. Instances of microcephaly have boomed in Brazil, just as the Zika virus has spread.

The mosquito-borne virus can cause fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. And why does it pose a threat to pregnant women? An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, making it hard for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.