Attention Missions Leadership

The Zika virus has spread to more than 33 counties and to over 4 million people according to CNN. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning pregnant women against travel to countries affected by the Zika virus.  Health officials in several of those countries are telling women to avoid pregnancy — in some cases for up to two years. This virus can be very serious for pregnant women. In Brazil there have been over 400 cases of this virus affecting newborns.

Zika Virus Facts

• The virus is transmitted primary through mosquito bites.
• The most common symptoms of the Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes).
• The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.
• There is no vaccine to prevent, or specific medicine to treat, Zika infections.
• Take medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) to relieve fever and pain.
• Do not take aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• If traveling to an area where you could be exposed to the virus, stay in places with air conditioning, or use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• See your healthcare provider if you are pregnant and develop a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes within 2 weeks after traveling to a place where Zika has been reported.

Sources: CNN news, CDC and Web MD

This entry was posted on March 15, 2016 at 8:05 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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