Friday, July 29, 2016

New Zika cases may be linked to mosquitoes in the Miami, Florida area



MIAMI, FL --
Florida's governor says the state has concluded that four mysterious Zika infections likely came from mosquitoes in the Miami area.
Gov. Rick Scott said Friday that no mosquitoes in the state have tested positive for Zika. But he says one woman and three men in Miami-Dade and Broward counties likely contracted the virus through mosquito bites.
More than 1,650 Zika infections have been reported in the U.S., but the four patients in Florida would be the first not linked to travel outside the U.S. mainland.

Scott says health officials believe the infections occurred in a small area just north of downtown Miami.


Zika primarily spreads through bites from tropical mosquitoes. In most people, the virus causes only mild illness, but infection during pregnancy can lead to severe brain-related birth defects for the fetus.

Zika symptoms diagnosis and treatment from the CDC

Symptoms
  • About 1 in 5 people infected with Zika virus become ill (i.e., develop Zika).

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  • The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) for Zika virus disease is not known, but is likely to be a few days to a week.

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  • The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.

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  • Zika virus usually remains in the blood of an infected person for a few days but it can be found longer in some people.

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  • Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.

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  • Deaths are rare.


Diagnosis
  • The symptoms of Zika are similar to those of dengue and chikungunya, diseases spread through the same mosquitoes that transmit Zika.

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  • See your healthcare provider if you develop the symptoms described above and have visited an area where Zika is found.

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  • If you have recently traveled, tell your healthcare provider when and where you traveled.

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  • Your healthcare provider may order blood tests to look for Zika or other similar viruses like dengue or chikungunya.

Treatment
  • No vaccine or medications are available to prevent or treat Zika infections.

Treat the symptoms:
    Get plenty of rest
  • Drink fluids to prevent dehydration

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  • Take medicines, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain

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  • Do not take aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen and naproxen. Aspirin and NSAIDs should be avoided until dengue can be ruled out to reduce the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding). If you are taking medicine for another medical condition, talk to your healthcare provider before taking additional medication.

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  • If you have Zika, avoid mosquito bites for the first week of your illness.

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  • During the first week of infection, Zika virus can be found in the blood and passed from an infected person to another mosquito through mosquito bites.
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