In USA in recent year there are more and more stories about Zika virus who is considered to be particularly dangerous for pregnant women because it causes birth defects in newborns. If you are pregnant and planning a trip be sure to read everything you need to know about Zika virus.
This virus is transmitted through mosquito bites, and should be kept if you are traveling to Mexico or South America or the Caribbean, and this applies particularly to pregnant women. The first case of the virus was detected in Brazil last year, and experts say that it can cause birth defects in newborns. It is believed that there is a connection between this virus and the condition in which babies are born with the head lower than the average of the developing brain, which in some cases can be fatal. The World Health Organization says the virus will spread to all the states except for Canada and Chile because there is not living species of mosquito that transmits it.
Researchers are investigating whether the virus can be transmitted through sexual contact, but it currently does not have any evidence nor for it to be transferred from the mother to the baby through the milk. We are currently working on a vaccine for women living in crisis areas, including Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, and doctors even advise women who planned pregnancy to wait a while until more is known about Zika virus. BBC Television announced that it is in Brazil since October even recorded 3,500 cases of babies born with underdeveloped brains.
Health organizations are urging women who are pregnant and who are trying to become pregnant to postpone a trip to South American countries while Zika virus outbreak is over. If you can not postpone your trip for any reason, be sure to talk to your doctor who will recommend what to do to avoid mosquito bites. If you have traveled to some of regions affected by the epidemic, and have symptoms such as fever, rash, joint pain, eye irritation or conjunctivitis be sure to see your doctor and ask for testing to Zika virus. For this virus has no cure, and 80 percent of people who have it do not know they carry it.