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Zika virus outbreak
Topic Started: 16 Jan 2016, 02:02 AM (818 Views)
skibboy
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15 January 2016

Haiti hit with Zika virus outbreak: official

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© AFP/File | The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne ailment similar to dengue fever that is rapidly spreading through the Caribbean

PORT-AU-PRINCE (AFP) - Haiti's health ministry said Friday the country has been hit by an outbreak of the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne ailment similar to dengue fever that is rapidly spreading through the Caribbean.

Health Minister Florence Duperval Guillaume confirmed the outbreak at a press conference, saying that she too, was recovering from a bout of the illness.

"Even I fell ill," the minister said, although she did not have the diagnosis confirmed by testing.

A health lab in Trinidad and Tobago confirmed on Thursday that five out of 11 Haitian blood samples tested positive for the disease -- a finding suggesting that it could be rampant in this impoverished nation.

There have been no known fatalities from Zika, but the virus is of particular concern to pregnant women, because it can lead to birth defects and miscarriage.

Zika is spread by the Aedes genus of mosquitoes, some varieties of which also spread dengue virus, yellow fever virus and Chikungunya.

A female mosquito bites an infected person and then carries the virus to the next person she bites.

Symptoms, which usually are relatively mild, can include fever, rash, conjunctivitis and headache.

In more serious cases, they can include muscle pain, swelling and an itchy rash.

Haitian officials have been taken to task for what critics said has been a slow response to the outbreak.

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skibboy
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16 January 2016

Hawaii reports first US case of Zika-linked brain damage

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© AFP/File | A researcher looks at Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at a lab of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the Sao Paulo University, on January 8, 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil as researchers work to combat Zika virus epidemic

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States has reported its first case of a newborn suffering from brain damage linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus that has caused birth defects in Latin America.

The baby, born in a hospital in Oahu, suffers from microcephaly, a rare condition that means its brain and skull are abnormally small, the Hawaiian state health department said late Friday.

The mother was probably infected with the virus early in her pregnancy while living in Brazil in May 2015 and transmitted it to the fetus, the health department said.

It added that neither mother nor child is still infected and that there is no danger to anyone in Hawaii.

There is no vaccine to prevent the disease.

The Zika virus, which can impair normal intellectual development in newborns, has affected several thousand babies in Brazil in recent months.

The case in Hawaii was confirmed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We are saddened by the events that have affected this mother and her newborn," said Sarah Park, a Hawaiian state epidemiologist.

She said it underscored the warning issued Friday by the CDC for pregnant women to avoid traveling to regions or countries where Zika has been found.

Most are in Latin America, including Brazil, and the Caribbean.

The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitos, cannot spread between humans.

It often produces flu-like symptoms (fever, headaches and joint pain) as well as skin rashes and conjunctivitis.

Those symptoms appear within three to 12 days of the mosquito bite.

In 80 percent of cases, the infection goes unnoticed, and it is very rarely fatal.

In Brazil, more than 3,500 cases of microcephaly were recorded between October and January, just as the Zika epidemic was spreading.

Tests indicated that in at least four cases, the fetus developed the malformation during pregnancy because of the virus, the CDC said.

It said that 26 cases of Zika infection have been diagnosed in the United States since 2007 among people who contracted the disease outside the country.

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Brazil Zika outbreak: New test kits for mosquito-borne viruses

17 January 2016

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The Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes are the transmitters of all three viruses

The Brazilian Health ministry says it's developed new testing kits to rapidly identify the presence of three viruses - Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya - all carried by the same mosquito.

Health Minister Marcelo Castro said priority for testing would be given to pregnant women.

Brazil has the largest known outbreak of Zika, which has been linked to a sharp spike in birth defects.

Mr Castro also announced extra funds to speed up finding a vaccine for Zika.

He said that the goal was to develop a vaccine "in record time".

At the moment the only way to fight Zika is to clear standing water where mosquitoes breed.

The aim is that the tests will speed up diagnosis and ensure patients get correct medical treatment fast.

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Most of the cases of microencephaly in Brazil have been in the poorer north-eastern states

Since October around 3,530 babies have been born with microencephaly, which can lead to small heads and under-developed brains.

Fewer than 150 cases of microencephaly were seen in Brazil throughout 2014.

The US State Department confirmed its first case of a baby born with brain damage because of infection by the Zika virus.

The baby was born in a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii.

The Hawaii State Department of Health said the mother was believed to have contracted Zika while living in Brazil in May 2015 and that the baby was most likely infected in the womb.

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert on Friday advising pregnant women to avoid travelling to Brazil and other Latin American and Caribbean countries where outbreaks of Zika have been registered.

The travel alert applies to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes species mosquito.

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skibboy
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19 January 2016

Zika spreads to Bolivia, infecting pregnant woman

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© AFP/File | Mosquitoes, like these seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 2, 2014, are carriers of the Zika virus which a pregnant Bolivian woman has just been diagnosed with

LA PAZ (AFP) - A pregnant woman has been diagnosed with Zika in Bolivia, authorities said Tuesday, the first time the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to birth defects, has been transmitted here.

Health officials in the South American country had previously detected three people who arrived from other countries with the disease, but the woman -- who is eight weeks pregnant -- is the first person to be infected in Bolivia, they said.

"She has not traveled outside the country. This is a home-grown case," said Joaquin Monasterio, director of health services for the eastern department of Santa Cruz.

It is impossible to determine whether the woman's baby will suffer from brain damage, officials said.

Several pregnant women infected with Zika in Brazil have given birth to babies who suffered from microcephaly, a rare condition in which the brain and skull are abnormally small.

A woman in Hawaii who had recently returned from Brazil with Zika also gave birth to a baby with brain damage, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed.

But the World Health Organization said Tuesday it did not yet have conclusive evidence that Zika causes microcephaly.

Zika, which is similar to dengue fever, has been spreading across Latin America.

It had been detected in 10 countries in the region prior to the Bolivian case, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

The virus can cause fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, with symptoms usually lasting less than a week.

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20 January 2016

Florida reports first three Zika virus cases

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© AFP/File | The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, like these pictured at a research lab, cannot spread between humans

MIAMI (AFP) - Three cases of Zika virus, Florida's first, were recorded in people who had recently traveled in Latin America, health authorities said Wednesday.

The first two cases were found in Miami-Dade County, in people who visited Colombia in December.

The third case, in Hillsborough County, involved a person who traveled to Venezuela last month, Florida Health Department spokeswoman Mara Gambineri said.

"We encourage Florida residents and visitors to protect themselves from all mosquito-borne illnesses by draining standing water, covering their skin with repellent and clothing, covering windows with screens," Gambineri said.

No cases have yet been confirmed of infections contracted in the United States, though the virus has quickly spread across South America and the Caribbean in recent weeks.

The Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, cannot spread between humans.

But for pregnant women, the virus can be transmitted to the fetus, triggering brain damage like microcephaly in which the brain and skull are abnormally small.

The virus often produces flu-like symptoms (fever, headaches and joint pain) as well as skin rashes and conjunctivitis.

Those symptoms appear within three to 12 days of the mosquito bite. In 80 percent of cases, the infection goes unnoticed, and it is very rarely fatal.

Last week, the United States warned pregnant women to avoid travel to 14 countries and territories in the Caribbean and Latin America because of the virus.

There have been 26 travel-related cases of Zika virus in the United States since 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Brazil Zika outbreak: More babies born with birth defects

4 hours ago

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A 10-year-old Brazilian boy holds his two-month-old brother, who was born with microcephaly

Brazil says the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly or abnormally small heads since October has now reached nearly 4,000.

In the worst affected area, about 1% of newborns have suspected microcephaly.

The Brazilian authorities believe the increase is caused by an outbreak of Zika virus. Just 150 babies were born with microcephaly in 2014.

The brain condition can be deadly or cause intellectual disability and developmental delays.

Colombia's health minister has advised women there to delay pregnancy.

Brazil's health ministry says there have been 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly since October, when the authorities first noticed a surge, up from 3,500 in last week's report.

The link with Zika has not been confirmed, but a small number of babies who died had the virus in their brain and no other explanation for the surge in microcephaly has been suggested.

Zika is generally mild and only causes symptoms in one in five people.

It is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also spreads dengue and chikungunya.

Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika.

President Dilma Rousseff, visiting Recife in the worst-affected north-east of the country, said Brazilians needed to engage in the fight against the virus.

"Until we discover a vaccine, we will need to rely on the population to help us remove the conditions under which the mosquito reproduces," she said.

"In the meantime we need to provide all the assistance the children and their families require."

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Babies born with abnormally small heads may face life-long difficulties

Forty-nine babies with suspected microcephaly have died, Brazil's health ministry says.

In five of these cases an infection with Zika virus was found.

The Fiocruz research institute in Brazil says it has detected the virus in the placenta of a woman who miscarried in the first trimester of pregnancy - a step closer to establishing a clear link between the virus and the deformities affecting babies and foetuses.

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Brazil's health ministry says that 90% of notified suspected cases of microcephaly are in the north-east - and 6% in the south-east, an area which includes Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Rio de Janeiro is due to host the Olympics in August.

The country is expecting 10,500 international athletes and many more spectators to attend.

The worst affected states in the north-east - the poorest part of Brazil - are Paraiba, Pernambuco and Bahia.

In Paraiba, the health ministry says that the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly works out as 114 per 10,000 live births - or more than 1 in 100 of all newborns.

Last week, Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro said a new testing kit was being developed to identify quickly the presence of any of the three viruses spread by the mosquito concerned - dengue, chikungunya and Zika.

He also announced extra funds to speed up the development of a vaccine for Zika.

At the moment the only way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and to protect against mosquito bites.

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There has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of Zika in several other Latin American countries.

In Colombia, more than 13,500 cases have been reported.

"We are the second country [in Latin America] after Brazil in the number of reported cases," said Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria.

He has advised women in the country not to get pregnant for the rest of the outbreak which, he said, could last until July.

In Bolivia, the authorities have reported the first case of a pregnant woman diagnosed with Zika.

"She has not travelled outside the country," Joaquin Monasterio, health chief for the eastern department of Santa Cruz, told AFP news agency. "This is a home-grown case."

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The disease is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert last Friday advising pregnant women to consider postponing travel to Brazil and other Latin American and Caribbean countries where outbreaks of Zika have been registered.

The travel alert applies to Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

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Zika virus travel warnings spread to Africa and Oceania

3 hours ago

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In El Salvador - one of the 23 countries or territories covered by a travel warning - houses are fumigated against mosquitoes

Travel warnings to pregnant women have been extended to eight more countries or territories amid concerns over an illness causing severe birth defects.

On Wednesday, Brazil said the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly or abnormally small heads since October had reached nearly 4,000.

The Brazilian authorities believe the increase is caused by an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Warnings by US health officials now cover parts of Africa and Oceania.

One leading virologist in Brazil told the BBC the country was in an "emergency situation".

Brazil's health ministry says there have been 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly since October, when the authorities first noticed a surge, up from 3,500 in last week's report.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


What is Zika virus?

- It is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever and yellow fever

- It was first discovered in Africa in the 1940s but is now spreading in Latin America

- Scientists say there is growing evidence of a link to microcephaly, that leads to babies being born with small heads

- While Zika virus can lead to fever and a rash, most people show no symptoms, and there is no known cure

- The only way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and to protect against mosquito bites

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The link between microcephaly and Zika has not been confirmed but a small number of babies who died had the virus in their brain and no other explanation for the surge in microcephaly has been suggested.

The brain condition can be deadly or cause intellectual disability and developmental delays.

Forty-nine babies with suspected microcephaly have died, Brazil's health ministry says.

In five of these cases an infection with Zika virus was found.

Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika, with most cases in the north-east.

Others have been detected in the south-east, an area which includes Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of Zika in several other Latin American countries.

In Colombia, more than 13,500 cases have been reported, and the country's health minister has advised women there to delay pregnancy.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued initial travel warnings to pregnant women last week, adding eight more places to the list on Friday.

The warnings now extend to:

- Central and South America: Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela

- Caribbean: Barbados, Saint Martin, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe

- Oceania: Samoa

- Africa: Cape Verde

"The virus found the perfect conditions in Brazil," Ricardo Lourenco, who studies tropical infectious diseases at Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Institute, told Reuters news agency.

"A very efficient vector that loves human blood, millions of susceptible victims with no antibodies, ideal climate and lots of places to breed."

Davis Ferreira, a virologist with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told the BBC Brazil was facing a crisis similar to the one West Africa faced with Ebola: "We have newborns, thousands of newborns with microcephaly.

"And we don't know what's to come. We're in a emergency situation."

Rio de Janeiro is due to host the Olympics in August.

The country is expecting 10,500 international athletes and many more spectators to attend.

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Zika virus triggers pregnancy delay calls

23 January 2016

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In El Salvador houses have been fumigated against mosquitoes

Officials in four Latin American and Caribbean nations have warned women to avoid pregnancy amid concerns over an illness causing severe birth defects.

Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica recommended to delay pregnancies until more was known about the mosquito-borne Zika virus.

This followed an outbreak in Brazil.

Brazil said the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly - or abnormally small heads - had reached nearly 4,000 since October.

Meanwhile, US health authorities have warned pregnant women to avoid travelling to more than 20 countries in the Americas and beyond, where Zika cases have been registered.

The link between microcephaly and Zika has not been confirmed - but a small number of babies who died had the virus in their brain and no other explanation for the surge in microcephaly has been suggested.

The virus is not contagious and normally has flu-like symptoms.

'Incredibly naive'

In Colombia, Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria urged women to delay pregnancies for up to eight months.

"We are doing this because I believe it's a good way to communicate the risk, to tell people that there could be serious consequences," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Similar warnings were issued in Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica.

However, women's rights campaigners criticised the recommendations, saying women in the region often had little choice about becoming pregnant.

"It's incredibly naive for a government to ask women to postpone getting pregnant in a context such as Colombia, where more than 50% of pregnancies are unplanned and across the region where sexual violence is prevalent," said Monica Roa, a member of Women's Link Worldwide group.

Forty-nine babies with suspected microcephaly have died, Brazil's health ministry says.

In five of these cases an infection with Zika virus was found.

Brazil is experiencing the largest known outbreak of Zika, with most cases in the north-east.

Others have been detected in the south-east, an area which includes Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of cases of Zika in several other Latin American countries.

In Colombia, more than 13,500 cases have been reported.

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24 January 2016

Rio steps up Zika fight in Olympics run-up

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© AFP | Revelers raise awareness of the need to prevent the spread of the Zika virus in the first carnival street parade group on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 23, 2016

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Rio de Janeiro promised stepped-up measures to eradicate Zika virus-carrying mosquitoes at Olympic venues before the Games start in six months, amid a regional health scare.

Zika, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has been blamed for causing serious birth defects if a mother is infected during pregnancy.

These include microcephaly, in which the baby is born with an abnormally small head.

A dramatic growth in incidents across Latin America, notably in Brazil, has prompted governments to warn pregnant women about traveling to the region -- a sensitive topic as Rio prepares to become the first South American city to host the Summer Games, starting August 5.

Brazil and several other countries have even advised women to delay getting pregnant.

"The mayor's office will be intensifying inspections for the Olympics in August, despite this being a period with lower numbers of mosquitoes," City Hall said in a statement Sunday.

"About a month before the opening of the Games a team will visit all competition sites to eliminate possible concentrations," the mayor's office said.

The Rio mayor's office said its campaign against the mosquitoes would be helped by the fact that the Games will take place during the southern hemisphere winter, but there would still be an increase in preventative efforts.

The city health department fields 3,000 agents daily all year around and "during the Games there'll be a dedicated team focused on the Olympic installations," the mayor's office said.

Officials say a key measure is getting rid of stagnant water, an easy breeding ground for mosquitoes.

However, about 80 percent of mosquito breeding takes place in and around housing, "which shows that the fight... is a duty for all," the mayor's office said.

The first test for the city amid the Zika scare is the annual carnival, which is just getting under way and will see huge crowds, including many tourists, gathering in the streets.

At one street party Saturday, carnival-goers danced to a song that caught the mood of fear -- and defiance -- in the Olympic city.

"If the water stops, the larvae come, the larvae give birth to the mosquito," one verse went. "Chase away Zika!"

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Zika virus: Outbreak 'likely to spread across Americas' says WHO

By James Gallagher
Health editor, BBC News website

5 hours ago

The Zika virus is likely to spread across nearly all of the Americas, the World Health Organization has warned.

The infection, which causes symptoms including mild fever, conjunctivitis and headache, has already been found in 21 countries in the Caribbean, North and South America.

It has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains and some countries have advised women not to get pregnant.

No treatment or vaccine is available.

The virus was first detected in 1947 in monkeys in Africa.

There have since been small, short-lived outbreaks in people on the continent, parts of Asia and in the Pacific Islands.

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But it has spread on a massive scale in the Americas, where transmission was first detected in Brazil in May 2015.

Large numbers of the mosquitoes which carry the virus and a lack of any natural immunity is thought to be helping the infection to spread rapidly.

Mosquito

Zika is transmitted by the bite of Aedes mosquitoes, which are found in all countries in the region except Canada and Chile.

In a statement, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional office of the WHO, said: "PAHO anticipates that Zika virus will continue to spread and will likely reach all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found."

PAHO is advising people to protect themselves from the mosquitoes, which also spread dengue fever and chikungunya.

It also confirmed the virus had been detected in semen and there was "one case of possible person-to-person sexual transmission" but further evidence was still needed.

Around 80% of infections do not result in symptoms.

But the biggest concern is the potential impact on babies developing in the womb.

There have been around 3,500 reported cases of microcephaly - babies born with tiny brains - in Brazil alone since October.

PAHO warned pregnant women to be "especially careful" and to see their doctor before and after visiting areas affected by the virus.

Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Jamaica last week recommended women delay pregnancies until more was known about the virus.

Although officially PAHO says "any decision to defer pregnancy is an individual one between a woman, her partner and her healthcare provider".

Maria Conceicao Queiroz said there was a sense of fear where she lives near the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro: "Every one is at risk, we're all scared of getting Zika.

"We're surrounded with dirty water, polluted water, but what can we do but put repellent on, to try to keep the mosquitoes away."

Global threat

Prof Laura Rodrigues, a fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said some data suggested that up to one-in-fifty babies had birth defects in one of the worst hit areas - Pernambuco state in Brazil.

She said: "Until November we knew nothing, this has caught us by surprise and we're trying to learn as fast as we can.

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"Wherever there is dengue, there is mosquito, then it will spread and not just in Americas I think there is a very real chance it will spread in Asia."

PAHO advice is to ensure all containers that can hold even small amounts of water should be emptied and cleaned to prevent mosquitoes breeding.

And that people should protect themselves by using insect repellent, covering up and keeping windows and doors closed.

The director general of the WHO, Margaret Chan, said the outbreak was "extremely worrisome".

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Zika: US issues fresh guidance amid birth defect fears

2 hours ago

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Health authorities in Brazil have been fumigating a stadium in Rio

US health officials have issued new guidance to deal with the Zika virus, which is feared to cause birth defects.

Brazil has seen a surge in babies born with abnormally small heads, a condition known as microcephaly.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the mosquito-borne virus could spread across the Americas.

US doctors are being advised to closely monitor ultrasounds of pregnant women who have travelled to areas where Zika has been transmitted.

The guidance, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), says babies born with microcephaly to mothers exposed to Zika should be tested for the virus.

No treatment or vaccine is available.

There have not been any cases of Zika contracted from mosquitoes on the US mainland, but the Aedes aegypti type that spreads it is found in the country.

The US territory of Puerto Rico reported 18 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, although none were pregnant women.

Authorities in the state of Arkansas also said a person who recently travelled out of the US had tested positive for Zika.

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The Zika virus has been linked to infant microcephaly, which can hamper brain development

Meanwhile Brazilian authorities have been fumigating the Sambadrome stadium in Rio de Janeiro, due to host the city's famous carnival next month.

The US and other countries advise pregnant women to reconsider travelling to Brazil, which hosts the Olympics later this year, and other Zika-hit countries.

Brazil's government says it will deploy 220,000 soldiers in its fight against mosquitoes spreading the virus.

The troops will be dispatched next month to hand out leaflets and give advice on how to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds.

Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro said the spread of Zika was one of the greatest public health crises in his country's history, warning Brazil was already "losing badly" in its battle.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


What is Zika virus?

Posted Image

- Spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever and yellow fever

- First discovered in Africa in the 1940s but is now spreading in Latin America

- Scientists say there is growing evidence of a link to microcephaly, that leads to babies being born with small heads

- Can lead to fever and a rash but most people show no symptoms, and there is no known cure

- Only way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and protect against mosquito bites

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Symptoms of Zika include mild fever, conjunctivitis and headache and the virus has already been found in 21 countries in the Caribbean, North and South America.

There have been 3,893 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazilian babies since October compared with the previous annual average of just 160 cases.

While a causal link between a Zika infection during pregnancy and microcephaly has not been definitively proven, the WHO said evidence suggesting a connection was "extremely worrisome".

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Zika virus: US scientists say vaccine '10 years away'

By James Cook
BBC News, Galveston, Texas

4 hours ago

American scientists studying the Zika virus have warned that it could be a decade before a vaccine is publicly available.

The virus is linked to shrunken brains in unborn children, leading to severe brain damage or death.

It has spread to more than 20 countries, and has caused panic in Brazil where thousands of people have been infected.

There is currently no vaccine or cure, and diagnostic testing is difficult.

The search for a vaccine is being led by scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch.

They have visited Brazil to carry out research and collect samples, and are now analysing them in a suite of high-security laboratories in Galveston.

But they warn that although a vaccine could be ready for testing in two years, it may be another decade for it to be approved by regulators.

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Access to the building is tightly controlled by police and the FBI.

Speaking to the BBC inside the facility, Professor Scott Weaver, director of the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, said people were right to be frightened by the virus.

"It's certainly a very significant risk," he said, "and if infection of the foetus does occur and microcephaly develops we have no ability to alter the outcome of that very bad disease which is sometimes fatal or leaves children mentally incapacitated for the remainder of their life".

The symptoms in adults and children are similar to those for dengue fever but generally milder, including flu-like aches, inflammation of the eyes, joint pain and rashes although some people have no symptoms at all.

In rare cases the disease may also lead to complications including Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system which can cause paralysis.

There is some evidence that Zika can be transmitted through saliva and semen although this does not appear to be common.

"We think that sexual transmission can occur but we don't know how often or what the risk is to an individual man who becomes infected," said Prof Weaver.

The main concern is for unborn babies and - because Zika is difficult to diagnose - it can be late in a pregnancy before expectant mothers are informed of the risk, if they are informed at all.

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Aedes aegypti

Work on a vaccine only began a few months ago but the scientists in Galveston say they are not starting from scratch.

Zika is a member of the flavivirus family, which includes the viruses which cause dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile disease, and the team intends to use existing vaccines for those conditions as a platform for its work.

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Prof Nikos Vasilakis

Nikos Vasilakis, an assistant professor in the university's pathology department who works in the Centre for Biodefence and Emerging Infectious Diseases in Galveston, said they could have a vaccine ready for testing within a year or two, although he warned that winning approval from regulators could take much longer.

"What would take the longest time would be the process of passing it through the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) and other regulatory agencies to allow it for public use and that may take up to 10 to 12 years," said Prof Vasilakis.

Vaccine research is also going on in Brazil, where scientists say one could be ready in five years.

Scientist Shannan Rossi has recently returned from Brazil with Prof Vasilakis where they saw the devastating effects of the virus first hand.

She is now inspecting samples of human and animal tissue as well as studying mosquitoes to answer a number of questions such as which animals it infects and how long it stays in humans.

"Right now we're really at the beginning stages," said Dr Rossi.

In the meantime, the worry is that the disease will continue to spread.

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The military has been deployed in Brazil to inform the public about the virus' risks

"It's now in our doorstep in Mexico," said Prof Vasilakis, who is based on Galveston Island which looks out across the Gulf of Mexico.

"About 25 to 30 million people are at risk of exposure here in the southern United States if we have a local transmission of Zika," he added.

By this he means not just that humans arrive in the US with Zika, which has already happened in several states including Texas, but that they are then bitten by a mosquito which can carry the disease on to other people.

"The biggest traffickers of viruses globally are infected humans," he said, adding that the majority of infected people do not show any symptoms of the disease, making it difficult to detect.

In the absence of a vaccine or treatment, the best way to reduce the risk of infection, says the Texan team, is to use insect repellent and fumigate homes to get rid of mosquitoes.

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Fumigation is being used to try and prevent the spread of the virus in San Salvador

Combating infection will be easier in the United States than in poorer countries, they say, because of the widespread use of air conditioning and window screens, which means mosquitoes are less likely to come into contact with human skin.

Working with insects which can carry such a dangerous virus is not without risks.

Deep inside the University of Texas Medical Branch building, the mosquitoes which are deliberately infected with Zika and other viruses so they can be studied are kept in a secure facility, inside cages, behind screens and double air-locked doors.

Prof Saravana Thangamani is the director of the Insectary Services Core.

"In this insectary we keep about 23 different strains of mosquitoes for all researchers within our campus and we have Aedis Egypti from 12 different countries," he said.

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Prof Saravana Thangamani handling mosquitoes

Aedes Aegypti is the main species of mosquito which passes the virus from person to person, according to researchers.

Unlike mosquitoes which spread malaria it is mostly active during the day and is found in countries throughout the Americas, except for Canada and Chile where it is too cold for it to survive.

Prof Scott Weaver described the disease as frightening people in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

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So were they right to be frightened, especially pregnant women?

"Absolutely," answers Prof Weaver, without hesitation. "If I had a daughter of child-bearing age who was planning a spring break vacation to the Caribbean in the next few months I would strongly urge her not to go there at this point."

Sadly for millions of women living in the infected countries, that is not an option.

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Zika virus: Up to four million Zika cases predicted

By James Gallagher
Health editor, BBC News website

43 minutes ago

Three to four million people could be infected with Zika virus in the Americas this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts.

Most will not develop symptoms, but the virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to brain defects in babies.

Meanwhile, the US says it hopes to begin human vaccine trials by the end of 2016.

The head of the International Olympic Committee says steps are being taken to protect the Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Thomas Bach said the IOC would issue advice this week on how to keep athletes and visitors safe in Brazil, the worst affected country.

WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said Zika had gone "from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions".

She has set up a Zika "emergency team" after the "explosive" spread of the virus.

It will meet on Monday to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.

The last time an international emergency was declared was for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed more than 11,000 people.

Zika was first detected in Uganda in 1947, but has never caused an outbreak on this scale.

Brazil reported the first cases of Zika in South America in May 2015.

Most cases result in no symptoms and it is hard to test for, but WHO officials said between 500,000 and 1.5 million people had been infected in the country.

The virus has since spread to more than 20 countries in the region.

At the same time there has been a steep rise in levels of microcephaly - babies born with abnormally small heads - and the rare nervous system disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The link between the virus and these disorders has not been confirmed, but Dr Chan said it was "strongly suspected" and was "deeply alarming".

And she warned the situation could yet deteriorate as "this year's El Nino weather patterns are expected to increase mosquito populations greatly in many areas".

The BBC's David Shukman, reporting from Recife in north-east Brazil, said doctors were "overwhelmed" by cases of microcephaly.

One hospital in the city had gone from dealing with an average of five cases a year to 300 in the past six months.

Emergency team

Earlier, doctors writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association said Zika had "explosive pandemic potential" and said the WHO's failure to act swiftly on Ebola probably cost thousands of lives.

In a statement to the executive board meeting of the WHO, Dr Chan said: "The level of concern is high, as is the level of uncertainty.

"Questions abound - we need to get some answers quickly.

"For all these reasons, I have decided to convene an Emergency Committee.

"I am asking the Committee for advice on the appropriate level of international concern and for recommended measures that should be undertaken in affected countries and elsewhere."

Vaccine

Officials from the US National Institute of Health said they had two potential Zika vaccines in development.

One that is based on an experimental West Nile vaccine could be repurposed for Zika and enter clinical trials by the end of 2016, Dr Anthony Fauci from NIH said.

He said talks were already taking place with pharmaceutical companies, but a vaccine would not be widely available for several years.

Meanwhile Dr Anne Schuchat, from the Centers for Disease Control confirmed there had been 31 cases of Zika in the country - all linked to travel to the affected areas.

At a news conference, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the country's response to the virus so far had been "consistent with the kind of threat that could be out there".

"At this point, here in the United States, the risk of a disease spread by mosquitoes is quite low, the January temperatures in North America are quite inhospitable to the mosquito populations."

"But, obviously that's going to change," he added.

Dr Carissa Etienne, the regional-director for the WHO Pan American Health Organization, said the link between the abnormalities and Zika had not been confirmed.

But she added: "We cannot tolerate the prospect of more babies being born with neurological and other malformations and more people facing the threat of paralysis."

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Dilma Roussef calls on Brazil society to unite against Zika virus

29 January 2016

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Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has said national mobilisation is needed to fight Zika

President Dilma Rousseff has called on the whole of Brazilian society to help combat the spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects.

Ms Rousseff said national mobilisation was needed to eliminate the mosquitoes that spread the virus, and urged community groups and unions to help.

Zika is thought to cause a form of infant brain damage, microcephaly.

Three to four million people could be infected with Zika in the Americas this year, experts have warned.

Ms Rousseff rejected comments made by her health minister earlier this week, who said Brazil was badly losing the fight against the virus.

But Brazil is the country worst affected by the Zika outbreak, with 270 cases of microcephaly confirmed by the health ministry and 3,448 being investigated.

Concerns have arisen about Brazil's ability to safely host this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, has said steps are being taken to protect the event.

The IOC said it will issue guidelines later on Friday for athletes and visitors taking part.

Abortion petition

A group of Brazilian lawyers, activists and scientists is to ask the country's supreme court to allow abortions for women who have contracted the virus.

Abortions are illegal in Brazil, except in health emergencies or cases of rape or, since 2012, another brain condition known as anencephaly.

The new petition is to be delivered to the supreme court in two months' time.

The BBC has learned that it argues that "the Brazilian state is responsible for the Zika outbreak" for not having eradicated the Aedes aegypti mosquito which carries it.

Brazilian women "should not be penalised for the consequences of flawed policies", it says.

The group behind the microcephaly supreme court plea also won the exception for anencephaly in 2012.

Debora Diniz, a law professor at Brasilia University, told the BBC the disease disproportionately affected the poor.

She said: "It is important to remember, when we talk about abortion and reproductive rights in general, that we have a social class split in Brazil - wealthy women will access safe abortion, legal or illegal, and poor women will go to the illegal market or continue to be pregnant."

No vaccine

Most people do not develop symptoms of the Zika virus but may pass the virus on to their children.

There is no known cure or vaccine.

The US says it hopes to begin human vaccine trials by the end of 2016.

Officials from the US National Institute of Health (NIH) said they had two potential Zika vaccines in development.

One that is based on an experimental West Nile vaccine could be repurposed for Zika and enter clinical trials by the end of 2016, the NIH said.

WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said Zika had gone "from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions".

She has set up a Zika "emergency team" following the "explosive" spread of the virus.

The team will meet on Monday to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.

Zika was first detected in Uganda in 1947, but has never caused an outbreak on this scale.

Brazil reported the first cases of Zika in South America in May 2015.

WHO officials said between 500,000 and 1.5 million people had been infected in Brazil, and the virus has since spread to more than 20 countries in the region.

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Zika: Colombia cases in pregnant women double in a week

4 hours ago

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Over 20,000 people have been infected with Zika in Colombia, according to health officials

The number of pregnant women in Colombia infected with the Zika virus has doubled in a week, officials said.

Almost 2,000 pregnant women now have the virus, Colombia's National Health Institute said, out of the more than 20,000 people infected across Colombia.

The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to babies being born with abnormally small brains.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned Zika is "spreading explosively", predicting up to 4m cases this year.

On Monday, the WHO meets to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.

Brazil has been worst affected by the outbreak, followed by Colombia, but more than 20 other countries have seen cases.

Jamaica and Peru reported their first confirmed cases over the weekend, with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala urging calm and stressing that the patient contracted the disease outside of the country.

Zika symptoms are mild, causing a low fever, joint pain, headaches, a rash and conjunctivitis.

But concern surrounds a surge in babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, from mothers infected with Zika.

A link has not been confirmed.

Colombia has also said it has seen an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder that can cause temporary paralysis, that has also been linked to Zika.

The outbreak has sparked health warnings and eradication campaigns, with Brazil deploying troops and Colombia launching a mass fumigation campaign to fight mosquitoes.

Colombia and other Latin American countries have advised women to delay getting pregnant for the moment.

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Zika-linked condition: WHO declares global emergency

By Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

3 hours ago

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The virus is linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly in Brazil

A disease linked to the Zika virus in Latin America poses a global public health emergency requiring a united response, says the World Health Organization.

Experts are worried that the virus is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences.

The infection has been linked to cases of microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains.

The WHO alert puts Zika in the same category of concern as Ebola.

It means research and aid will be fast-tracked to tackle the infection.

There have been around 4,000 reported cases of microcephaly in Brazil alone since October.

WHO director general, Margaret Chan called Zika an "extraordinary event" that needed a co-ordinated response.

"I am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephaly and other neurological abnormalities reported in Latin America following a similar cluster in French Polynesia in 2014 constitutes a public health emergency of international concern."

She said the priorities were to protect pregnant women and their babies from harm and to control the mosquitoes that are spreading the virus.

She advised pregnant women:

- to consider delaying travel to areas affected by Zika

- seek advice from their physician if they are living in areas affected by Zika, as well as protect themselves against mosquito bites by wearing repellent

Dr Chan justified declaring an emergency even amid uncertainties about the disease, saying it was time to take action.

The WHO faced heavy criticism for waiting too long to declare the Ebola outbreak a public emergency.

Stopping Zika

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Currently, there is no vaccine or medication to stop Zika.

The only way to avoid catching it is to avoid getting bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the infection.

The WHO has already warned that Zika is likely to "spread explosively" across nearly all of the Americas. More than 20 countries, including Brazil, are reporting cases.

Most infections are mild and cause few or no symptoms, although there have been some reported cases of a rare paralysis disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The bigger health threat though is believed to be in pregnancy, to the unborn child.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, said: "There is a long road ahead. As with Ebola, Zika has once again exposed the world's vulnerability to emerging infectious diseases and the devastation they can unleash. Alongside the emergency response that Zika necessitates, we must put in place the permanent reforms, health systems strengthening and proactive research agenda that are needed to make the global health system more resilient to the threat of future pandemics."

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Zika virus infection 'through sex' reported in US

6 minutes ago

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The disease is suspected of being especially dangerous for pregnant women

A rare case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, not a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US.

A patient infected in Dallas, Texas, is likely to have been infected by sexual contact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told the BBC.

The person had not travelled to infected areas but their partner had returned from Venezuela.

Zika is carried by mosquitoes and has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

It is spreading through the Americas and the World Health Organization has declared the virus a global public health emergency..

This case in Dallas would be the first known infection to take place in the mainland US, though Texas has seen seven other Zika cases all related to foreign travel.

Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director for CDC, said this was the first case it had dealt with involving a "non-traveller".

"We don't believe this was spread through mosquito bites, but we do believe it was spread through a sexual contact."

A statement issued by the CDC said the best way to avoid Zika virus infection was "to prevent mosquito bites AND to avoid exposure to semen from someone who has been exposed to Zika".

The case is "significant" if it was definitely transmitted through sexual contact, Alaka Basu, a senior fellow for public health at the UN Foundation, told the BBC.

"This significance is parallel with the HIV/Aids case. It's worse in some ways, because there are two modes of transmission."

It is not the first known case of sexual transmission.

There was a case in 2013 in French Polynesia, according to the CDC website.

The country worst affected by the outbreak is Brazil, where the health ministry said on Tuesday that it was investigating 3,670 suspected cases of microcephaly in babies.

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Race to understand Zika link to baby microcephaly

By Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

2 February 2016

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An urgent global race is under way to establish how and why the Zika virus could be causing a devastating spike in cases of babies being born with underdeveloped brains in South America.

Brazil has reported around 4,000 cases of microcephaly since October - an unprecedented number.

The World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency in response.

But experts are unsure what exactly is behind the rise.

Dr Anthony Costello, the WHO's expert on microcephaly, says finding an answer quickly is imperative.

"We must assume, given global travel and the like, that this could spread into many other populations as well.

"What we have picked up is a surge in cases of microcephaly in two areas where Zika virus has broken out. First in French Polynesia last year and now, to a much greater extent, in Brazil.

"We do not know about cases yet in other areas."

Zika virus has now hit more than 20 countries and the WHO believes it is likely to spread "explosively" across nearly all of the Americas, making the need for fast answers clear.

Dr Costello says there will be a lag time of several months to know if pregnant women in these newly affected countries are safe.

The race is on to find a better diagnostic test and a vaccine and treatment for Zika as well as establishing what is making these babies ill.

Microcephaly is not a new condition.

In the US, official reports suggests two to 12 babies per 10,000 born each year have microcephaly - that's around 25,000 babies a year.

It can be caused by other infections caught in pregnancy, such as rubella.

Drug and alcohol abuse by expectant mothers are also factors.

And it can also be caused by rare genetic conditions.

The difficulty facing scientists is establishing what is behind each new case.

Research using animal models is needed to determine if Zika causes damage to an unborn infant when infection occurs in pregnancy and at what stage, as well as studies of pregnant women who have unfortunately been infected with Zika virus to determine the outcomes of their pregnancies.

Dr Costello said: "We desperately need to have better diagnostics for Zika virus so that we can look very carefully, if you get pregnant and you get infected, at what is the risk of getting microcephaly.
"At the moment we don't exactly know what the risk is."

He said although many pregnant women would, understandably, be very scared at the moment, they should remember that the risk of their baby having microcephaly was still very low.

"This is still a relatively rare occurrence and even if the rates increase, most women are going to get through pregnancy absolutely fine."

Babies born with microcephaly can grow up to have few or no complications.

The impact it will have on their life depends on its severity.

An underdeveloped brain can lead to seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disability, problems with movement and balance, hearing loss and visual problems.

Because it is difficult to predict at birth what problems may lie ahead for a baby with microcephaly, they need close medical follow-up.


There are things pregnant women, or those who are likely to be pregnant, can do to protect themselves against the potential risk:

- to consider delaying travel to areas affected by Zika

- seek advice from a physician if they are living in areas affected by Zika

- protect themselves against mosquito bites by wearing repellent and covering up


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03 February 2016

Canada moves to protect blood supply from Zika virus

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© AFP/File | Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada, the continental United States or Europe will be ineligible to give blood for three weeks upon their return from abroad "to mitigate the risk of the Zika virus entering the Canadian blood supply"

MONTREAL (AFP) - Canadian blood agencies announced Wednesday a temporary restriction on blood donations aimed at keeping the Zika virus out of the nation's blood supply.

Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada, the continental United States or Europe will be ineligible to give blood for three weeks upon their return from abroad "to mitigate the risk of the Zika virus entering the Canadian blood supply," Canadian Blood Services said in a statement.

Hema-Quebec, which is responsible for blood services in the French-speaking province of Quebec, put a similar measure in place.

The 21-day waiting period also applies to cord blood and stem cell donors who have travelled to affected areas.

"The risk of a Canadian donor transmitting the Zika virus to a blood recipient is very low," Canadian Blood Services said, although one case has been reported in Brazil.

A case of transmission through sexual intercourse was also reported Tuesday in the US state of Texas.

"The mosquito that carries the virus does not live in Canada due to our colder climate (and) there have been very few reported cases of Zika virus infection in travellers who acquired the virus abroad," it noted.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus has spread to 26 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

It holds little danger for most people but has been linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a condition which causes babies to develop abnormally small heads, leading to permanent disability or death.

The symptoms resemble those of a mild case of flu -- headache, muscle and joint pain, mild fever, and a rash.

In 70 to 80 percent of cases, the disease goes unnoticed.

The first Canadian cases involving travellers infected abroad were reported last week.

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Zika virus pregnancy case confirmed in Spain - first in Europe

35 minutes ago

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Zika - a mosquito-borne virus - has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains

Spain has confirmed that a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus - the first such case in Europe.

The health ministry said the woman had recently returned from Colombia, where it is believed she was infected.

Zika, which is spreading through the Americas, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the microcephaly condition, linked to the mosquito-borne virus, a global public health emergency.

The WHO on Thursday also advised countries not to accept blood donations from people who had travelled to Zika-affected regions, the AFP news agency reported.

The link between Zika infection and microcephaly has not been confirmed and the risks at different stages of pregnancy are unknown."

'No spreading risk'

In a statement (in Spanish), the health ministry said the pregnant woman was diagnosed as having Zika in the north-eastern Catalonia region.

It did not release the woman's name, saying she was one of seven confirmed cases in Spain.

It said two more patients were in Catalonia, two in Castile and Leon, one in Murcia and one in the capital Madrid.

"All are in good health," the ministry added.

It also stressed that "the diagnosed cases of Zika virus in Spain... don't risk spreading the virus in our country as they are imported cases".


In other Zika news:

- Brazil says a national mobilisation day will be held on Saturday, during which thousands of soldiers and state employees will work work to eradicate mosquitoes in homes and offices.

- The outbreak is discussed by health ministers from 14 South American countries who vow to take action to eliminate it

- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos tells the BBC he expects a rise in Zika cases

- The WHO expresses fears over the reported sexual transmission of the Zika virus in Texas

- Florida Governor Rick Scott declares a public health emergency in four counties with travel-related cases of the virus, while ordering state officials to increase mosquito control efforts in heavily populated locales including Miami and Tampa

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Colombia links Zika to rare nerve disorder deaths

3 hours ago

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Colombia has launched a programme to kill the mosquitoes that spread Zika

Colombia says three people have died after contracting the Zika virus and developing a rare nerve disorder.

Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said there was a "causal connection" between Zika, the Guillain-Barre disorder and the three deaths.

Earlier, Brazilian scientists said they had detected for the first time active samples of Zika in urine and saliva.

However, it is not clear whether the virus can be transmitted through bodily fluids.

Zika, a mosquito-borne disease, has been linked to cases of babies born in Brazil with microcephaly - underdeveloped brains.

"We have confirmed and attributed three deaths to Zika," said the head of Colombia's National Health Institute, Martha Lucia Ospina.

"In this case, the three deaths were preceded by Guillain-Barre syndrome."

Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system.

It isn't normally fatal.

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Colombian Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said any link to fatal complications was "worrying"

Ms Ospina said another six deaths were being investigated for possible links to Zika.

"Other cases (of deaths linked to Zika) are going to emerge," she said. "The world is realising that Zika can be deadly. The mortality rate is not very high, but it can be deadly."

Mr Gaviria said one of the fatalities took place in San Andres and the other two in Turbo, in Antioquia department.

UK virologist Prof Jonathan Ball, of the University of Nottingham, told the BBC: "We have been saying Zika has been associated with Guillain-Barre. One of the complications of that could be respiratory failure. But it is still probably a very rare event."

Although Zika usually causes mild, flu-like symptoms, it has been linked to thousands of suspected birth defects.

However, it has not yet been proved that Zika causes either microcephaly or Guillain-Barre.

The main method of infection is via mosquito bites but scientists in Brazil say tests on two patients revealed Zika can be found in other body fluids.

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Zika has been linked to cases of microcephaly in infants

Paulo Gadelha, the head of Brazil's Fiocruz Institute which is part of the Ministry of Health, said: "The presence of the active Zika virus has been found in saliva and urine.

"But that does not mean there is a capacity for transmission through saliva and urine."

Traces of Zika's genetic material were detected in saliva and urine during the 2013 outbreak in French Polynesia, but the Brazilian authorities say this is the first time "active" virus has been detected.

Oswaldo Cruz, also from Fiocruz, added: "It means the virus is active, capable of infecting a cell so this is completely different, it means that the virus is functional."

Brazil has seen 4,783 suspected cases of babies born with small brains, although only 404 of them have been confirmed, 709 have been rejected and 3,670 are still being investigated.

Meanwhile, the US has advised men to abstain from sex or use condoms after visiting affected countries, if their partner is pregnant.

The US Centers for Disease Control believes a recent case of Zika was spread through sex.

The updated advice says avoiding mosquitoes remains the best way to prevent infection, but advises men returning from affected countries to "correctly use condoms during sex or abstain from sexual activity for the duration of the pregnancy".

Meanwhile, the governor of Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency over Zika.

The US territory has 22 confirmed cases.

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Brazil carnival: Party goes on despite Zika virus threat

7 February 2016

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Mosquito nets costumes have been popular in Recife's carnival

Millions of people across Brazil have joined the first day of the annual carnival festivities despite concerns about the outbreak of the Zika virus.

In Recife, the city most affected by the mosquito-borne disease, more than one million people in colourful costumes have been partying.

In Rio de Janeiro, huge crowds of revellers have filled the city centre to celebrate.

The virus has been linked to a surge of brain malformations in newborn babies.

The health ministry and local authorities have been handing out leaflets alerting residents and tourists to the risks of Zika.

Over a million visitors are expected in Rio de Janeiro for the carnival celebrations, which end on Wednesday morning.

This is the first test of whether fear of contamination by the Zika virus may scare tourists from the Olympics the city will host in August and September, says the BBC's Julia Carneiro.

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More than 500 parades will be held in Rio de Janeiro until Wednesday morning

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Government employees in Copacabana Beach handed out leaflets with information about Zika

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In typical carnival irreverence, some revellers in Recife dressed up as the Aedes mosquito

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More than one million people joined the traditional Dawn Rooster parade in Recife

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Mosquito elimination campaigns are continuing in many cities through the festivities

Brazilian authorities and the International Olympic Committee have pointed out that the Games will be held during the Southern Hemisphere winter, when conditions for the proliferation of the mosquito that spreads the virus will be less favourable.

Fumigation to try to eliminate the Aedes aegypti, which also carries the dengue and chikungunya viruses, are continuing in many Brazilian cities during carnival.

Some 220,000 armed forces troops will launch a big clean-up operation next week to eliminate puddles of stagnant water where the mosquitoes breed.

President Dilma Rousseff has urged all Brazilians to join the effort.

More than 20 countries in the Americas have been affected by the Zika virus outbreak.

Brazil has been the worst hit country.

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09 February 2016

China confirms first imported Zika case: report

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© AFP/File | A Chinese man is confirmed to have gotten the Zika virus while in Venezuela and was most likely infected by a bite from Aedes aegypti mosquitos, seen here on February 3, 2016

BEIJING (AFP) - China confirmed its first imported case of Zika late Tuesday, Xinhua reported, as fears mount over the fast-spreading virus that has been linked to severe birth defects mostly in Latin America.

Few cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been reported in Asia, but the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency to combat Zika as cases spread elsewhere.

Officials in China said a 34-year-old man was diagnosed with the virus after he returned from Venezuela on January 28 and reported a fever, headache and dizziness, according to Xinhua news agency citing health officials.

The man, from Ganxian county in the southeast province of Jiangxi, is now recovering with a normal body temperature and fading rash, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission cited on Xinhua.

He had travelled home via Hong Kong and Shenzhen and has been quarantined and treated in a Ganxian hospital since February 6.

The health commission said he posed an extremely low risk of spreading the virus, the news agency added.

The disease starts with a mosquito bite and normally causes little more than a fever and rash.

Zika has however been linked to a surge in the number of children in Latin America born with microcephaly -- abnormally small heads and brains.

So far, 26 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, and dozens of Europeans and North Americans returning from Zika-affected areas have also tested positive for the virus.

Brazil has been hardest hit by the outbreak with more than 20,000 cases, including over 2,000 pregnant women.

Thailand and Indonesia have reported one case each, but health experts have warned some Asian nations are vulnerable to a Zika outbreak.

Health authorities have said Zika could infect up to four million people in Latin America and spread worldwide.

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Zika virus: 'Strongest evidence yet' of effect on babies

4 minutes ago

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Authorities in some countries affected by the virus have advised women to delay pregnancy

One of the US's most senior public health officials has revealed the "strongest evidence to date" of the effect on babies of the Zika virus.

Dr Tom Frieden, head of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), was testifying before politicians in Washington.

He said that data from the cases of two infants in Brazil who died soon after birth indicated the virus had passed from mother to child.

However, he said the suspected link was still not definite.

There are thought to have been more than 4,000 cases in Brazil alone of babies born with microcephaly - abnormally small brains - and where the transmission of Zika virus from mother to child is suspected of being the cause.

Dr Frieden said intensive research was under way to find out much more about the mosquito-borne virus and to develop a vaccine for it, although he warned that that could still be years away.

"We will likely see significant numbers of [Zika] cases in Puerto Rico and other US territories," Dr Frieden warned.

He said the CDC would issue grants to US states at risk of Zika to better control mosquitoes.

Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO), which has called the outbreak a "global public health emergency", issued guidance for women on how to protect themselves.

It said that until more is known on whether sexual contact can transmit Zika, "all men and women living in or returning from an area where Zika is present - especially pregnant women and their partners - should be counselled on the potential risks of sexual transmission and ensure safe sexual practices".

"These include the correct and consistent use of condoms, one of the most effective methods of protection against all sexually transmitted infections," the WHO said.

The use of contraception is a controversial issue in the region because of the Catholic Church's stance against it.

However, the Church has rejected calls from liberal Catholics for a softening of its position on the issue in light of the outbreak.

"Microcephaly has been occurring in Brazil for years. They are taking advantage of this moment to reintroduce the abortion topic," Bishop Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, secretary general of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference, told the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper.

The WHO said it was not advocating travel restrictions to the area but advised pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, to seek medical advice before travelling to areas where Zika is present.

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10 February 2016

Zika research to be published rapidly, and free: statement

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© AFP/File / by Mariette Le Roux | Health ministry workers show larva of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads Zika, in Guatemala City on February 2, 2016

PARIS (AFP) - Top research institutions, funders and publishers said Wednesday they would make all scientific findings on the Zika virus assailing Latin America available speedily, and free.

A statement signed by the journals Nature, Science and The Lancet, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, France's Institut Pasteur, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development said data was a crucial tool in fighting the public health emergency.

"Journal signatories will make all content concerning the Zika virus free to access," the document said.

For their part, research funders will require scientists to share interim as well as final data as rapidly and widely as possible.

The route to publication can be a long, slow one, and research findings are usually not shared until after they have been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"The arguments for sharing data, and the consequences of not doing so, have been thrown into stark relief by the Ebola and Zika outbreaks," the document stated.

"In the context of a public health emergency of international concern, there is an imperative on all parties to make any information available that might have value in combatting the crisis."

The statement urged other organisations to follow suit.

Other signatories included Doctors Without Borders (MSF in its French acronym), The New England Journal of Medicine, PLOS Science Journals, the South African Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

The move was welcomed by experts as a sea change in public health research.

- Life-saving -

Trudie Lang, director of the Global Health Network, said the response to Zika -- even more so than in the case of Ebola -- was being hamstrung by the many unknowns.

"We are still to prove that Zika causes microcephaly, and we need to know at what point damage happens in pregnancy, should this be the case," she said in comments issued by the Science Media Centre in London.

"In addition we need to develop better diagnostic tools and agree how to interpret anomaly scans to assess how these affected babies are developing."

Data needs to be shared as quickly as possible, she said, "to address all these questions concurrently."

Lang also stressed the need to ensure the data is reliable and accurate.

This "requires research sites to be well trained and have the resources they need to collect and manage data in ways that avoid error," she said.

Infectious diseases professor Mark Woolhouse from the University of Edinburgh described the commitment as one of the most welcome developments in decades.

"If acted upon, this declaration will save lives," he said.

An outbreak of the usually benign Zika virus in Latin America and the Caribbean has coincided with a surge in babies with microcephaly, a condition that causes them to have unusually small heads and brains, leading to death or disability.

No scientific proof has been found that Zika causes microcephaly, though the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) has said a link is "strongly suspected" and has declared Zika a "public health emergency of international concern."

There is no cure or vaccine for the virus which, in most people, causes mild symptoms.

by Mariette Le Roux

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