Residents of Virginia, Arkansas test positive for Zika virus

[Teh One Who Knocks]

FOX News and The Associated Press


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Health officials in Arkansas and Virginia confirmed Tuesday that residents of those states had tested positive for the mosquito-born Zika virus.

The Virginia Department of Health said an adult resident of the state had recently travled to a country where the Zika virus transmission was ongoing. A statement from the department added that residents were not at risk of catching the virus from the infected person.

"Zika virus is acquired through the bite of an infected mosquito," State Health Commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine said in a statement. "Because it is not mosquito season in Virginia, this individual with Zika virus infection poses no risk to other Virginians."

Earlier Tuesday, the Arkansas Department of Health confirmed that an individual who recently traveled outside the U.S. had tested positive for the virus.

Officials in both states urged residents planning to travel overseas to check health advisories. In particular, they warned pregnant women to consider postponing trips to 22 Zika-affected countries and territories in the Caribbean, as well as Central and South America.

In addition, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that a young girl who traveled to El Salvador in late November had been infected with the illness, but had since recovered.

The Zika virus has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, with researchers reporting an increase in a rare birth defect named microcephaly — babies born with abnormally small heads.

[redred]

not good

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Yeah, just what we need, an outbreak of some weird disease :|

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Associated Press


HELSINKI (AP) — A Danish tourist has been infected by the Zika virus after visiting southern and central America, Danish hospital officials say, but authorities said Wednesday it was not the first case in Europe.

In a statement Tuesday, the Aarhus University Hospital said the patient ran a fever, had a headache and muscle aches and was discovered as having the virus on Tuesday.

The news comes after an ABC News report that 19 people were diagnosed in the United States with the Zika virus.

There hospital released no further details about the patient but it says that there is little risk of it spreading in Denmark because the mosquito carrying the virus isn't found in the country.

Romit Jain, from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm, says there have been confirmed cases of imported Zika virus infections in Germany and Britain.

A Zika virus case was also confirmed in Sweden last summer, said Sara Rorbecker of the Swedish Public Health Agency. She said the patient — a woman of non-fertile age — had contracted the virus when traveling, adding that there was nothing "dramatic" about the case.

Zika virus is not a notifiable disease in the European Union, meaning that EU countries are not required to report cases to the ECDC. Therefore, there is wide variation on reporting by member states.

The Zika virus, discovered decades ago in Africa, was long thought to be more of a nuisance illness, with symptoms generally much milder than its cousin dengue.

However, amid a large Zika outbreak in Brazil, researchers began reporting an increase in microcephaly — babies born with abnormally small heads.

[DemonGeminiX]

Captain Tripps

[Muddy]

Just think, the Olympics are soon...

[redred]

Just think, the Olympics are soon...

hows the training going ?

[Muddy]

hows the training going ?

http://i.imgur.com/yTv0JWu.jpg

[redred]

:lol:

[deebakes]

:rip: muddy

[Griffin]

http://imaginarycinema.com/images/burton/normal_beetlejuice299.jpg

[fricnjay]

http://i.imgur.com/oJXsEo0.jpg

News of the Zika virus epidemic is popping up left, right, and center, and for good reason. Since this pathogen first reared its ugly head in Brazil last year, infections have been reported in 21 countries across the Americas and the Caribbean, and it’s not anticipated to stop there. Scientists have now warned that this virus has “explosive pandemic potential,” and are calling upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to step up its game and take the lead.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers say we need to learn from the tough lesson that has been the latest and worst-ever Ebola outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people. They criticize the WHO for their indecisiveness and delayed action, a failure they say could arguably be held accountable for the loss of thousands of lives.

Although not an infectious disease like Ebola, Zika virus is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the same that can transmit dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Now found across the globe in tropical and subtropical areas, including the U.S., Zika has the potential to spread far and wide, and is predicted to infect up to 4 million people in the Americas this year. Although the paper pointed out that an emergency committee meeting had yet to be organized by the WHO, the BBC has now reported that an emergency team has been assembled to discuss the situation on Monday.

But countries have already taken it upon themselves to issue their own guidance, even going so far as advising that women delay pregnancy in the face of alarmingly increasing numbers of associated birth defects. Even if the link between Zika and the rise in microcephaly, or babies born with abnormally small heads, is confirmed, this isn’t a long-term fix in the absence of a vaccine or specific treatment, which can take up to ten years to develop and license

Although a group at the University of Texas Medical Branch is already working towards an immunization, this was previously not a priority for institutions or health organizations because the virus wasn’t seen as a threat before now. Infection is actually mostly symptomless, with only one in five going on to develop Zika virus disease, characterized by mild signs like fever and joint pains.

Now that around 4,000 babies in Brazil have been born with shrunken heads since investigations began in October of last year – a 2,500 percent increase on 2014’s figure – there is certainly some urgency, but countries don’t have to sit around idly in the meantime. As the paper points out, efforts need to be made to control the mosquitoes, such as using insecticides and removing pools of water that the insects lay eggs in. Advice on how to avoid becoming bitten should also be made available, for instance keeping covered up and using repellant, and surveillance should be bumped up.

While international travel from countries affected by Zika has the potential to see the virus spread out of the Americas and the Caribbean, it’s important to note that just because infections appear in a country, this does not mean epidemics will become established in those places. It can’t be transmitted from person to person and requires the presence of the Ae. aegypti mosquito. Countries that do have these insects can make efforts to reduce the likelihood of outbreaks by quickly identifying cases and preventing them from becoming bitten by resident mosquitoes, which could disseminate the virus.

[Godfather]

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This shit is really sad and spreading scary fast. Countries with this issue in South America are encouraging women to have ultrasounds... but they largely have strict abortion laws. Without getting into a big debate, I feel strongly that they should lift those for medical circumstances such as this, at least temporarily.