On the heels of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the spread of the Zika virus an international emergency Feb. 1, both WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have compiled resources and information on the virus for physicians and patients.
Zika is a disease caused by a virus that is acquired through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, per the CDC. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a week. A severe reaction that would require hospitalization is at this point uncommon, the CDC states on its website.
The first confirmed case of the virus was in May 2015 in Brazil, and the CDC has issued warnings to travelers of that region, as well as countries where the virus is present. The CDC reports that more than 30 cases have been confirmed in the United States in returning travelers.
According to the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the CDC confirmed Feb. 2 the first case in the U.S. of the Zika virus being acquired through “sexual transmission.”
“The patient was infected with the virus after having sexual contact with an ill individual who returned from a country where Zika virus is present,” the statement read.
For resources, visit the CDC’s or the WHO’s dedicated sections on the Zika virus.
HNX Healthcare Update 