The mosquito-borne Zika virus is spreading across Latin America and the Caribbean, and medical experts are saying it’s just a matter of time before the virus reaches the southern part of the United States.
Mustapha Debboun, director of the mosquito control division at Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services in Houston said on cbsnews.com, travelers to the countries where there are a number of cases will eventually bring the virus back to the States, and the mosquitoes in the US will pick it up.
A recent report said that nearly 3,900 babies have been born in Brazil last year alone with microcephaly, a birth defect that results in an abnormally small head, and can lead to developmental issues and possibly death. How the Zika virus has an impact on unborn children remains a mystery, and a number of studies are underway to asses its association with microcephaly.
The virus is passed when a mosquito bites a person infected with the virus, and then passes it along to the mosquito’s next victim. Currently there is no vaccine to prevent the virus and it may take years to develop one, according to Dr.Edward McCabe, senior vice president and chief medical officer of the March of Dimes.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning to pregnant women about traveling to the 14 countries where the virus is prevalent. The list of countries includes Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.
Also this week, the CDC issued guidance to doctors treating pregnant women who had traveled to the region and returned to the US, advising them to test for Zika in any of their patients that may be experiencing fever, rashes, muscle aches or pink eye after recent travel.
Reports of the infections in recent days have all involved persons who had traveled to the countries where the virus is endemic, but the CDC and other health officials say the spread of the virus to the US is inevitable. How quickly the virus will spread is only a matter of speculation.
Officials say we can help prevent the spread by removing any standing water areas where the mosquitoes breed, and by using insect repellent and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside.