The ZIKA Epidemic: Update Feb. 12, 2016

The Zika pandemic:  
UPDATE FEBRUARY 12, 2016 

The Zika virus continues to erupt across the tropical Americas.

A great resource as this epidemic unfolds will always be the CDC at:
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html

Please note that there have been zero (0) cases of the Zika virus caught BY MOSQUITO in any state of the United States.  

There have been new cases caught by mosquito in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, but none in Florida, Texas, or any other state.

There is a bit more information on sexual transmission of the Zika virus, but the key fact still today is that we do not know much about sexual transmission of Zika.   To date, there have been 3 events of actual or possible sexual transmission.  All were from men, none so far from women.
Two were from a man to a woman, and one was the finding of Zika virus in the semen of a third man.
The men all had symptoms.

Now, how long is a man with Zika virus contagious, via sexual contact?  No one knows, but one semen sample was positive 10 weeks after the man was infected.

It still remains the case that by far the gravest danger posed by the Zika virus is to developing babies.

But some deaths have been reported from people infected with Zika, so the risk is no longer considered solely born by the fetus.

The bottom line at this time is that if you want to avoid getting infected by the Zika virus, you and your family need to stay out of areas where it is now very active, namely the tropical Americas [Mexico, Central America, Northern half of South America, the Caribbean], Samoa, and the Cape Verde Islands.  Men who travel there should abstain from sexual contact or practice completely safe use of condoms for an indeterminate number of months.  If their wives are or may become pregnant, the precautions must be taken for the duration of the pregnancy.

BOTTOM LINES

1.  A virus long dormant in Africa spread to French Polynesia in 2007, and now is exploding across the tropical Americas, the Zika virus.

2.  In adults, the vast majority of infected people either don't get sick at all or have mild symptoms.

3.  Less commonly, adults can get significant pain in muscles and joints.

4.  Adults with the infection can have the neurologic complication of Guillan-Barre syndrome which is typically transient.  Now some have died from the infection.

5.  A very disturbing aspect of the Zika virus is its ability to infect babies of pregnant women and cause damage to brain development.

6.  Adults and children need to weigh the risk of serious infection if they plan to travel to tropical Americas, Samoa, and Cape Verde Islands.  The risk of getting infected is real.  There are neurologic complications and now even death reported.

7.  Pregnant women should know that traveling to tropical Americas, Samoa, and Cape Verde Islands could be catastrophic for their developing baby.
8.  If a woman who even may become pregnant has a partner who has traveled to the  tropical Americas, Samoa, or Cape Verde Islands, she should abstain from sexual contact during the entire pregnancy.

The main point is that no one in Ohio can currently, or is likely ever to, catch Zika virus while in Ohio, except through sexual contact with an infected partner.  Travel to Zika active areas is a very real risk to all.

To your health,

Dr. Arthur Lavin

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