Zika Virus Identified in Brownsville, Texas; DPH Warns the Travelers

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced that active Zika transmission is identified in an additional area in Brownsville, Texas. Department of Public Health (DPH) has taken notice of the announcement instantly and has released a statement for the public.

The commissioner Dr. Raul Pino warned the public in the statement and said that pregnant women and those who are planning to get pregnant in the future and their sexual partners are advised to postpone their travel plans to Brownsville, Texas, reports Department of Public Health.

Zika virus causes only mild symptoms in infected patients but it has life-long devastating consequences for children yet to be born. And since Zika is a sexually transmitted virus, both of the sexual partners must avoid the virus to protect a child in a possible pregnancy.

DPH says a few days back on December 14, 1,123 Connecticut patients were tested positive for Zika, out of which 809 were pregnant women. Another group of patients 103 were tested positive for Zika and 5 of these were pregnant women, reports Patch.

39 patients out of which 28 were pregnant women tested positive for Flavivirus. This holds the possibility of a number of diseases including West Nile, Dengue, Zika, yellow fever, etc. that are transmitted by mosquitos.

In Connecticut, the locals are not at risk of the virus transmission in the winter season but the Department of public Health will stay vigilant to do whatever possible to protect the citizens from Zika virus, Added Dr. Pino.

The regular updates will be issued for the residents about travel warnings if any cases of local transmissions are recorded. This is in particular to the other areas in the southern United States.

Zika virus is transmitted by mosquito bites and sex. Its main danger lies in its devastating effects on unborn children. The virus can cause birth defects the most dangerous of them is microcephaly in which the head of the fetus remains abnormally small and the brain does not develop.