Diagnosis of untreatable Zika virus in Houston is a cause for concern, experts say

[Reefa]

A little-known virus that has already gained a major foothold in South and Central America just arrived in the US via someone travelling from South America, NBC News reports.

 

The virus was diagnosed in someone in Houston on Monday. Notably, this isn't the first time a tourist has carried Zika to North America, but some experts say there is cause for concern.

 

Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the Texas Children's Hospital Centre for Vaccine Development told NBC News that some American cities could be vulnerable to Zika's spread, though a single tourist is unlikely to be the cause of an outbreak here.

 

"The problem with it is we have to act now," Hotez said. "This is such an unusual virus. It tends to produce low-level symptoms."

 

Zika, which has only recently moved beyond Africa and Southeast Asia, has already had debilitating effects in the Americas. It's especially problematic in Brazil, where its appears to be connected to a serious birth defect.

 

The Zika virus was originally identified in 1947 in Uganda. It's primarily transmitted by tropical mosquitoes – the same kind known for spreading dengue – that pick up the virus from infected people, according to the CDC. It was relatively unknown until 2007, when there was an outbreak of the virus in Micronesia.

 

Until 2014, the virus had only broken out in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. That year, it spread to Easter Island and Chile. By May 2015, Zika had made its way to Brazil. In the past year, Brazil has seen more than 84,000 cases of the virus.

 

So far, there are no vaccines or treatments for Zika. The only way to prevent the infection is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

 

Currently, nine countries in Central and South America have reported cases of the virus. Puerto Rico reported on December 31 that it had its first locally acquired case of the virus. Once infected, only about 20 percent ever show symptoms, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.

 

And, in the case of Brazil's outbreak, the virus appears to have a harmful effect on pregnant women. In total for 2015, thousands of babies – about 10 times the normal amount for a year – were born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain is abnormally small. This birth defect was often found after the mother had Zika virus-like symptoms early in the pregnancy.

 

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), microcephaly can result from a number of different prenatal conditions, such as other infections, genetics, and exposure to toxic substances. Some of the babies recently born with microcephaly have tested positive for the Zika virus, but others have not, the CDC reports, making it difficult to draw a definite conclusion about the reason for the increased prevalence of the condition.

 

However, both public officials and independent scientists doubt the two instances are completely coincidental.

 

Several other viruses, including rubella and herpes, are known to cause congenital defects in babies born to mothers with the condition. And doctors have recently detected Zika RNA, the genetic material the virus uses to reproduce, in several foetuses born with microcephaly, Scott Weaver, the director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told the Genetic Expert News Service.

 

With this discovery, said Weaver, "The link between Zika virus infection and microcephaly has become reasonably strong."

 

Nevertheless, Weaver added that it's still a bit too early to rule out an alternative cause. To do that, scientists would need to link the mother's infection directly to the beginning of the child's microcephaly and prove that no other viruses were involved.

 

The New York Times recently reported that Zika's spread could have something to do with climate change increasing mosquito ranges. As climates shift and get warmer, mosquitoes have more area they can cover, which means the disease can spread farther north into places it might not ordinarily reach.

 

In any case, an epidemic wouldn't be entirely the result of a hotter planet, but warming temperatures could make things worse.

http://www.sciencealert.com/diagnosis-of-untreatable-zika-virus-in-houston-is-a-cause-for-concern-experts-say

 

[dMog]

on my way to Honduras shortly this virus is active there... biggest threat is to pregnant women or women planing on getting pregnant as the virus will cause a birth defect

[humble3d]

The world remains a very dangerous place... 

[buzz123]

Viruses are indeed scary... Whether you are a computer or a human!

[steven36]

Quote

 

Zika Virus Outbreak Prompts CDC to Expand Travel Advisory

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking pregnant women to avoid 22 countries that have seen outbreaks of the Zika virus. That’s up eight from just yesterday. Disturbingly, the mosquito-borne virus, which may be causing abnormally small heads in newborns, has also been linked to yet another debilitating disease.

The Zika virus has been spreading rapidly over the past several months, most prominently in Brazil. Its spread has been associated with a dramatic increase in microcephaly, a rare condition in which babies are born with abnormally small heads. No definitive link has been made between Zika and microcephaly, but a recent investigation discovered traces of the virus in placentas of two women who miscarried their babies. What’s more, Brazil is in the midst of an unprecedented microcephaly epidemic, and people are pointing their fingers directly at Zika. In response, health authorities in several countries, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, and Jamaica, have asked women to voluntarily consider delaying their pregnancies.

 

The CDC is now working with the Brazilian authorities to determine if a potential link exists between Zika and yet another condition, a rare autoimmune disorder known as Guillain-Barré syndrome. Similar to the recent surge of microcephaly, Brazilian health officials have diagnosed hundreds of cases of Guillain-Barré, which represents a significant increase. This disease, in which the body’s immune system attacks nerve cells, can cause muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.

 

The CDC is recommending that “all pregnant women consider postponing travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.” As of yesterday, the travel alert (Level 2-Practice Enhanced Precautions) included the following countries:

Quote

Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico

 

Today, the CDC added eight more to the travel advisory:

Quote

Barbados, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin, Guyana, Cape Verde, and Samoa

 

These all happen to be tropical countries in which Aedes aegypti, the mosquito responsible for transmitting the virus from person to person, is able to flourish year round. A dozen cases of Zika have been confirmed in the United States, including a case in Hawaii a few days ago, but in all instances these infections occurred from mosquito bites while traveling. Health experts are worried, however, that the virus could spread north into parts of the United States due to warming weather.

 

Around 80 percent of people who contract the virus show no symptoms. And for those who do, the effects are relatively mild and short-lived. Fatalities are exceptionally rare. Typical symptoms include a slight fever and rash. No vaccine currently exists for Zika, nor are there any antiviral treatments.

 

The CDC wants health care providers to ask all pregnant women about their recent travel history. Pregnant women who have just returned from any of the aforementioned countries should be “evaluated for Zika virus infection and tested in accordance with CDC Interim Guidance.” And because other similar diseases are currently making the rounds in these regions, namely dengue and chikungunya, patients who exhibit any symptoms with the Zika virus should also be tested for these infections.

 

The CDC is offering this advice for pregnant women who, for whatever reason, cannot avoid a trip to a country currently experiencing Zika virus transmissions:

Quote

If a pregnant woman travels to an area with Zika virus transmission, she should be advised to strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites. Mosquitoes that spread Zika virus bite both indoors and outdoors, mostly during the daytime; therefore, it is important to ensure protection from mosquitoes throughout the entire day. Mosquito prevention strategies include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)–registered insect repellents, using permethrin-treated clothing and gear, and staying and sleeping in screened-in or air-conditioned rooms. When used as directed on the product label, insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are safe for pregnant women.

 

The CDC has also posted these guidelines for using insect repellents.

 

 

http://gizmodo.com/zika-virus-outbreak-prompts-cdc-to-expand-travel-adviso-1754572559

 

 

 

[humble3d]

As indicated recently on TV and radio, this nasty bat rastard could endanger the entire world... seriously !

 

We've been fighting MANY nasty bugs all season to NO avail...

 

Trying to fight VERY nasty bugs and old age together ain't for sissies...

 

Be well... 

TV and Radio links:

 

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/zika-virus/

 

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/25/464333063/health-group-says-zika-virus-will-spread-through-the-americas

 

[pc71520]

Zika virus spreading in Europe as 1st person tests positive in Denmark

[flitox]

yeah the mosquitoes bite so hard in denmark right in the middle of winter

[wacm1979]

I hope they get to grips with this virus outbreak. The effects are quite harsh.