The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning pregnant Americans not to travel to Caribbean and South American regions where mosquitoes carry Zika virus. In addition to Puerto Rico, the alert warns about travel to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Suriname, Venezuela and a few other countries. (CDC is updating its list on a regular basis). The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that carry the virus also carry other nasty infections, notably dengue fever and chikungunya.
No Treatment for Zika Virus:
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika virus, which can cause rash, fever and joint pain. Symptoms of the infection in adults are usually mild. According to The New York Times, however, the CDC is now helping Brazil’s health ministry investigate a possible link between Zika virus infection and a paralytic condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Zika Virus May Be Behind Birth Defects:
The main concern with Zika virus is that it can cause birth defects in babies exposed in utero. There have been 3,500 cases of microcephaly detected among Brazilian babies. The virus may interfere with development of the brain and skull, leading to babies with abnormally small heads. Many do not survive.
There are now several cases in the U.S. linked to pregnant women traveling to areas where the virus is prevalent. Pregnant women are being warned to stay away from such areas if possible; if that is not possible, every precaution against getting a mosquito bite should be taken. That includes keeping screens on windows and doors or using mosquito netting. Women are also urged to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and apply mosquito repellent conscientiously.
