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Thiruvananthapuram, The <keyword id="260974" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala-health-department" source="Orion">Kerala health department</keyword> issued a directive on Monday urging people to remain vigilant against the <keyword id="3155474" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zika-virus" source="Orion">Zika virus</keyword>. The directive was issued in response to the virus outbreak in the Thalassery area of the northern Kannur district. <br /><br />The department said that symptoms such as fever, headache, body pain, joint pain, and red eyes should be taken seriously. <br /><br />It urged the public to promptly inform healthcare workers if they notice these symptoms. <br /><br />"If Zika virus symptoms are observed in patients, healthcare providers must give them special attention," the statement said. <br /><br />The statement was issued after a high-level meeting chaired by Health Minister <keyword id="3296362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Veena-George" source="Orion">Veena George</keyword> held here reviewed the Zika virus cases in Thalassery. <br /><br />Currently, eight Zika virus cases have been confirmed there. <br /><br />The department said if pregnant women are affected by the virus, there is a possibility of birth defects, such as microcephaly, in the unborn baby. Therefore, pregnant women in areas with reported cases of the disease should receive special monitoring, it said. <br /><br />The department directed doctors to conduct separate examinations for pregnant women affected by fever. <br /><br />It said the Zika virus is primarily transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, but it can also be transmitted through blood donation and sexual contact. <br /><br />The department called for an intensification of activities related to mosquito breeding and fogging. <br /><br />They also directed schools, households, and institutions in Kannur district to observe dry days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to prevent mosquito breeding.

Zika virus: Kerala health department urges people to be vigilant

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Felipe Dana/AP Images</span></p><p class="caption">Microcephaly is a severe neurological defect that has recently been linked with the ZIka virus.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-expanded-travel-advisories-2016-1">urged pregnant women not to travel</a> to countries that have reported cases of the Zika virus, an untreatable, mosquito-borne disease.</p><p>The Zika virus has recently been linked to a neurological disorder that causes babies to be born with small craniums and limited brain development, a condition called <span>microcephaly.</span></p><p><span>In 2014, there were 146 cases of microcephaly in Brazil. In 2015, the rate of babies born with microcephaly grew to be 20 times the normal rate. </span></p><p><span>Since the outbreak of the Zika virus in April 2015, there have been close to 4,000 cases in newborn babies from women who were infected during their pregnancy. </span></p><p><span>The Zika virus is </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">transmitted through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and t</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">he symptoms - which include a low-grade fever, small rashes, joint pains, and red eye - are relatively mild, which is why it did not cause much alarm when the outbreak started in Brazil early last year. </span></p><p>Below are shocking images of the birth defect caused by the Zika virus.</p>

14 heartbreaking images of the untreatable Zika virus, which is causing one of the biggest public health crises in Brazil's history

Even as the Covid pandemic continue to rage in Kerala, state <keyword id="6356374" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-minister">Health Minister</keyword> <keyword id="3296362" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Veena-George">Veena George</keyword> on Thursday said <keyword id="3155474" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zika-virus">Zika virus</keyword> cases have been detected in the state.<br /><br />"This is the first time that Zika virus has been reported in Kerala... a 24-year-old pregnant woman reported at a hospital in the state capital district with fever, headache and rashes last month. The first results showed a mild <keyword id="2143892" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="positive-sign">positive sign</keyword> of Zika virus and later from 19 samples tested, 13 also showed Zika positive. All the samples have now been sent to <keyword id="4590086" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="niv-pune">NIV Pune</keyword>," she said.<br /><br />"The <keyword id="48418" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Health-department">Health Department</keyword> and the district authorities are seized of the issue and have taken measures by collecting samples of the Aedes species <keyword id="6418922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mosquitoes">mosquitoes</keyword>, which transmits it to people through its bite. All the districts have been alerted about this and measures have started," George added.<br /><br />Zika virus can create complications for pregnant women.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/cryptocurrencies-exchanges-can-run-into-trouble-with-investors/articleshow/84205889.cms">Cryptocurrencies aren't all diamonds and roses — lawsuits from people who lost big are piling up with exchanges</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/simple-energy-new-electric-scooter-promises-240km-range-on-a-70-minute-charge/articleshow/84164967.cms">This new electric scooter promises 240KM range on a 70-minute charge, could be priced under ₹1,20,000</a></strong><br />

First Zika virus case detected in Kerala, says state's health minister

<br /><ul><li><strong>On 9 October, officials from the health department of <keyword id="6355588" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword> confirmed that there had been 29 verified cases of the <keyword id="3155474" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zika-virus">Zika virus</keyword> in the state.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The first case of Zika was reported on 23 September in an 85-year old patient at the at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in <keyword id="6354779" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaipur">Jaipur</keyword>.<br /></strong></li><li><strong>The virus, which is transferred through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever and rashes and is particularly harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to <keyword id="903822" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="microcephaly">microcephaly</keyword> in newborn children.<br /><br /></strong></li></ul>India’s has seen its fair share of <keyword id="44297" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Epidemic">epidemic</keyword> scares in recent years. <br /><br />In late 2014, the Ebola virus, which plagued West Africa for the better part of the year’s second half, reached New Delhi when a man tested positive for the disease after landing from Liberia. In 2017, three people in Gujarat tested positive for the Zika virus, which spread through South America in 2015 and 2016, affecting pregnant mothers. Earlier this year, in June, the state of Kerala was on high alert after 17 people died of the Nipah virus, which spreads from fruit bats. <br /><br />Last month, the Zika virus reared its head again, and this time it's quickly become the largest outbreak ever of the disease in India. On 9 October, officials from the health department of Rajasthan confirmed that there had been 29 verified cases of the Zika virus in the state. Following the news, the central government’s health ministry tried to assuage fears by claiming that the outbreak was under control. <br /><br />The first case of Zika was reported on <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/jaipur/rajasthan-health-department-on-toes-after-first-zika-casereported/story-nB3BCWc5nTLhIWxXqv82YN.html">23 September</a> in an 85-year old patient at the at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. The virus, which is transferred through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, causes fever and rashes and is particularly harmful to pregnant women, as it can lead to microcephaly in newborn children. <br /><br />A majority of the current cases are limited to one particular area in Jaipur- Shastri Nagar. Since the first case was reported, the state government of Rajasthan has said it has tried to contain the damage while monitoring the full extent of the problem. It has placed more than 90 pregnant under watch, while checking 26,000 households and destroying 29,000 breeding grounds for mosquitoes in the locality, according to Veenu Gupta, a secretary in the state’s health ministry.<br /><br />For its part, the central government has also sent a team comprising officials from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme to Jaipur to keep tabs on the situation and assist state government officials. Around five labs have been set up all over the state to test blood samples from patients suspected of contracting the virus. <br />

India is dealing with its largest ever outbreak of the Zika virus

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Health workers spay insecticide in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Parts of Latin and South America are in the middle of an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-local-transmission-cases-2016-1" target="_blank">outbreak of the Zika Virus that's spread by mosquito bites</a>.</p><p>The virus is particularly dangerous for pregnant women whose fetuses are susceptible to a condition called microcephaly.</p><p>According to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/microcephaly.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, microcephaly is a birth defect in which a baby's head and brain are smaller and less-developed than others of the same age. </p><p>At the moment, there are no vaccines to prevent, and no medicines to treat the Zika virus. </p><p>Thus far, 24 countries worldwide - including Mexico and Brazil - have reported active transmissions of the Zika virus. </p><p>Now airlines are reacting to the outbreak by offering passengers with tickets to infected regions the opportunity to change their plans, free of charge.</p><p>Here's what a few of the world's largest airlines are doing in reaction to the outbreak.</p><h2><strong>American Airlines</strong>:</h2><p>American Airlines' policy will allow a customer to receive a refund if they provide a doctor's note stating that they are unable to travel to affected countries or territories due to their pregnancy.</p><p>Affected countries include Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.</p><p>"<span>We are also closely monitoring the situation, and will make changes to our current policy if necessary," American told Business Insider in an email.</span></p><h2><span><strong>Delta Air Lines</strong>:</span></h2><p><span>In response to the Zika outbreak, Delta issued the following travel advisory:</span></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span>Customers with current reservations who are concerned about traveling to destinations reported by the CDC to be affected by Zika Viral Illness should call 1-800-221-1212 (U.S.) or your local Reservations office and speak with a Delta Representative.</span><br /><br /><span>Customers may qualify for a change to alternate destinations, travel dates or a refund. Customers may make fee-waived changes to future reservations/tickets. However, changes need to be made by February 29, 2016.</span></span></p><h2><span><span><strong>United Airlines</strong>:</span></span></h2><p><span><span>United Airlines has not issued an advisory for the affected areas, but the airline will offer refunds to customers who are pregnant, who no longer wish to travel. </span></span></p><p><span><span><span>Pregnant women with tickets to affected areas can receive refunds," An United spokesperson told Business Insider via email. "Rather than issuing an advisory, we ask customers to reach out to us directly."</span></span></span></p><h2><span><span><span><strong>Air France</strong>:</span></span></span></h2><p><span><span><span>In response to the outbreak, Air France has issued to following statement to Business Insider:</span></span></span></p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span><span><span><span>Air France confirms that the Zika virus has had no impact on its flight operations and service to the destinations concerned. The Company continues to closely monitor the situation, and is in direct contact with the French and international health authorities (French Health Ministry, WHO, CDC, ECDC, IATA, etc.).</span><br /><span>Announcements are made on board flights to the regions affected by the virus to inform customers about the precautionary measures to observe. </span><span>Flight crews have also been informed about these same measures.</span></span></span></span></p><h2><span><span><span><span><strong>British Airways</strong>:</span></span></span></span></h2><p><span>"If a pregnant customer is due to travel up to and including February 29, but they no longer wish to travel," British Airways said in an email to Business Insider. "They can change their booking free of charge and delay their journey or amend to an alternative destination."</span><br /><br /><span>"This applies to flights to Brazil, Mexico, Barbados and Dominican Republic, and we will continue to review the situation."</span></p><h2>Here are all the countries affected by Zika virus outbreak:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Dylan Roach/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/head-shrinking-zika-virus-is-coming-to-the-us-2016-1">An infectious disease specialist told us the best ways to protect yourself from the untreatable Zika virus</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FyMjhoMDE6bUDx8g1aOELFiH-Xh2sTx8" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Here's how airlines are reacting to the Zika virus outbreak

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Felipe Dana</span></p><p class="caption">A baby in Brazil born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain is abnormally small.</p></div><p></p></div></div><span>The Zika virus, which has only recently moved beyond Africa and Southeast Asia, has already had debilitating effects in the Americas. It's especially problematic in Brazil, where it's appears to be connected to a serious birth defect. </span></p><p>Now, after a baby born with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-baby-born-in-hawaii-with-brain-damage-confirmed-to-have-zika-infection-2016-1">brain abnormality</a> in Hawaii tested positive for the virus, the CDC has come up with guidelines for how to identify the disease and monitor women who are pregnant during the outbreak.</p><p>The Zika virus is primarily transmitted by <em>Aedes aegypti</em>, the type of mosquito responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever, and a whole host of other tropical infectious diseases. The mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected people, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/index.html">according to the CDC</a>. Originally identified in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/s1231-zika.html">1947 in Uganda</a>, Zika was relatively unknown until 2007, when there was an outbreak of the virus in <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0805715">Micronesia</a>. </p><p>Brazil, one of the areas hit hardest by the disease, had about 10 times the normal amount of babies born with a condition called microcephaly in 2015. <span>This birth defect, in which the brain is abnormally small, was often found after the mother had Zika virus-like symptoms early in the pregnancy. Researchers still aren't sure whether the virus causes the birth defects, but there does appear to be a link.</span></p><h2>Here's a flow chart of what the CDC is looking for:</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>CDC</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In other words, if you're pregant and you've traveled to an area where Zika virus has been transmitted, talk with your physician. If you show symptoms consistent with Zika (fever, muscle aches, rash, or pink eye), get tested.</p><p>And regardless of how your test goes, your baby should also be tested for signs of microcephaly or deposits of calcium in the brain. Even if the fetus doesn't show one of those abnormalities, the CDC recommends for babies to be monitored continuously.</p><p>Since there is neither vaccine nor antiviral treatment for Zika, the CDC recommends anyone with symptoms focus on relieving those symptoms.</p>

The CDC just released new guidelines about the fast-spreading Zika virus

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">A woman stands near a poster explaining about the Zika virus at the Ministry of Health office in Jakarta</p></div><p></p></div></div>Zika is no longer being considered an international public health emergency. </p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Friday that the Zika virus and related neurological complications no longer constitute an emergency. Even so, the virus is still around, and the agency said it would continue to work on the outbreak through a "robust program."</p><p>The WHO's Emergency Committee, which declared Zika an international public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-declared-public-health-emergency-2016-1">in February</a>, said in a statement that "the Zika virus and associated consequences remain a significant enduring public health challenge requiring intense action but no longer represent a PHEIC."</p><p>"We are not downgrading the importance of Zika, by placing this as a longer program of work, we are sending the message that Zika is here to stay," Dr. Peter Salama, Executive Director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program, told a news briefing.</p><p>Since May 2015, Zika has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-local-transmission-cases-2016-1">spreading around the Americas</a> and the Pacific, and countries and territories are still encountering local transmission via mosquito. On Wednesday, the CDC added Palau <span>to its list of countries and territories with local transmission of the Zika virus.</span></p><p>The Zika virus, which is mainly transmitted by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/could-genetically-engineered-mosquitos-stop-zika-2016-1">mosquitoes</a>, has been spreading around the Americas and parts of Asia over the past year. It's been identified in the mainland <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article104627676.html">US in Miami, Florida</a>. Once infected, only about 20% of people <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html">ever show symptoms</a>, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.</p><p>One reason this outbreak of Zika has been so troubling is that has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-birth-defects-rate-2016-9">a cause of birth defects</a>, including microcephaly - a condition where the baby's head is abnormally small - in babies whose mothers have had Zika. The virus has also been linked to a neurological condition called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-guillain-barre-syndrome-2016-2">Guillain-Barré syndrome</a>.</p><p><em>(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)</em></p>

Zika is no longer a public emergency - but it is 'here to stay'

<p>Zika has rapidly gained&#xa0;a foothold in the Americas.&#xa0;</p><p>Starting with Brazil in May 2015 and accelerating quickly into 30 countries and territories so far, the outbreak of the untreatable Zika virus has prompted a lot of concern, primarily because of some of the worrying disorders that have been named as potentially linked&#xa0;with the virus.&#xa0;</p><p>We've created a GIF displaying all the places the Zika virus has spread through local transmission, meaning via mosquitoes, since the start of the outbreak, including the most recent <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> advisories by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:</p><p><div><p><a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/1j18pMLLTtEQ2EqA">via GIPHY</a></p></div></p><h2>What is&#xa0;Zika virus?</h2><p>The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease (meaning it passes from person to person via mosquito bite) that was discovered in the 1940s. It wasn't until 2007, when the first outbreak of Zika occurred, that the virus was considered&#xa0;a major threat&#xa0;to public health.</p><p>Once infected, only about one in five people with Zika ever <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html">shows symptoms</a>, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. That's why the main concern surrounds&#xa0;pregnant women, because there's been a spike in a&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-microcephaly-2016-2">brain condition called microcephaly</a>&#xa0;in babies born to infected mothers in areas where the Zika virus is being locally transmitted. Researchers are also looking into the virus's potential connection to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiBiOPgmOHKAhUCdz4KHW-VBigQFggcMAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ninds.nih.gov%2Fdisorders%2Fgbs%2Fdetail_gbs.htm&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlimnCuuW-6oC_hPUkxMxUTM114g&amp;bvm=bv.113370389,d.cWw">Guillan-Barre Syndrome</a>, a temporary disorder in which the immune system attacks part of the nervous system.</p><p>Zika&#xa0;is carried by mosquitoes, namely the Aedes aegypti, a tropical bug&#xa0;that's great at transmitting diseases like yellow fever, dengue, and Zika. They are daytime mosquitoes, which means they bite during the day and like hanging out in warm, damp, heavily-populated locations.</p><p>Although the Zika virus is mostly transmitted when a mosquito bites a human infected with the virus, then goes on to bite another human, some rare cases of sexual transmission via semen have been <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/index.html">documented in the past</a>, and a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-in-the-united-states-transmitted-2016-1">person in Dallas, Texas</a> recently got infected via sexual transmission.&#xa0;</p><h2>What you need to know about Zika, as outlined by CDC director Tom Frieden:</h2><ol><li>Pregnant women in the US should hold off on traveling to Zika-infected areas.</li><li>Women should use protection or abstain from having sex with a male partner that just traveled where Zika is spreading.</li><li>Pregnant women who traveled to an area where Zika is spreading should be tested within 2 to 12 weeks of their visit.</li><li>Remember, this is a fairly new phenomenon, and there is still <em>a lot we don't know</em>. The last time a virus was linked to significant birth defects was half a century ago with the discovery of <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/rubella/about/index.html">rubella, or German Measles</a>.</li></ol>

Watch the spread of Zika in the Americas in one terrifying GIF

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Africa appears to be the next continent to feel the effects of the strain of Zika virus that's been circulating around the Americas.<p>On Friday, the World Health Organization said it had confirmed that the Zika virus strain that's been circulating on&#xa0;the African island nation of Cabo Verde is the same as the strain that has been linked to birth defects and neurological conditions in South and Central America.</p><p>"The findings are of concern because it is further proof that the outbreak is spreading beyond South America and is on the doorstep of Africa." Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO's regional director for Africa said in a release. "This information will help African countries to re-evaluate their level of risk and adapt and increase their levels of preparedness."&#xa0;</p><p>The Zika virus was originally identified in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/s1231-zika.html">1947 in Uganda</a>. It was relatively unknown until 2007, when there was an outbreak of the virus in <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0805715">Micronesia</a>. That Asian type is the one that made its way to Brazil in 2015.&#xa0;</p><p>The Zika virus, which is transmitted mainly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/could-genetically-engineered-mosquitos-stop-zika-2016-1">via mosquitoes</a>, has been identified in the US but&#xa0;only in people who've recently traveled to Zika hot spots. Once infected with Zika, only about 20% of people ever show&#xa0;<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html">symptoms</a>, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes. There is no vaccine or&#xa0;treatment available for the virus.&#xa0;</p><p>One reason this strain of Zika is so troubling is because <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-zika-causes-birth-defects-including-microcephaly-2016-4">it is a cause</a> of birth defects including microcephaly (a condition where the baby's head is abnormally small)&#xa0;in babies whose mothers have had Zika. The virus&#xa0;also been linked&#xa0;to&#xa0;a neurological condition called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-guillain-barre-syndrome-2016-2">Guillain-Barré Syndrome</a>.&#xa0;Cabo&#xa0;Verde has had locally transmitted Zika <a href="http://www.who.int/csr/don/21-december-2015-zika-cape-verde/en/">since October 2015</a>, and the WHO reports there have been three cases of microcephaly but no cases of GBS.&#xa0;</p><p>Here's what Zika's spread has been like since the virus hit Brazil in May 2015:</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-potential-threat-united-states-prevention-government-spending-2016-4">CDC on Zika virus: It's 'scarier than we initially thought'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="t1NmxyMjE60Yi8lJYkhT4pX8JNc2dMF9" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Zika is 'on the doorstep of Africa'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Jose Cabezas</span></p><p class="caption">A pregnant woman looks on as mosquito nets are used at the Women National Hospital in an effort to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes that might carry Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, in San Salvador, El Salvador.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The CDC just released some worrisome news about the ability for the untreatable Zika virus to be passed through sex.</p><p>On Tuesday, the agency said they were investigating 14 possible cases of sexually transmitted Zika virus, several of which were in pregnant women. </p><p>Earlier in February, the US experienced its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-in-the-united-states-transmitted-2016-1">first confirmed case of sexually transmitted Zika</a> related to the recent outbreak.</p><p>Although the virus is overwhelmingly transmitted by mosquitoes that pick up infected blood from one human and transfer the virus to another, cases of sexually transmitted Zika have been documented in the past.</p><p>The CDC is looking into all 14 suspected transmissions. Here's what they know about each one:</p><ul><li>In two women who tested positive for Zika, their only contact with the virus came from sex with a sick male partner who had traveled to an area with local Zika transmission, or areas where the disease is traveling via mosquito.</li><li>Four more women have tested positive for Zika in preliminary tests but are still waiting for tests to confirm they have Zika.</li><li>The other eight are still under investigation. </li></ul><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In all of the above cases, the sick travelers were men who had reported symptoms of Zika within two weeks of when the female partner's symptoms started. Although all cases of sexual transmission so far have come from male partners, interestingly, the CDC added, "At this time, there is no evidence that women can transmit Zika virus to their sex partners; however, more research is needed to understand this issue."</span></p><p>The Zika virus is typically not dangerous to the average person: only about one in five people ever experience symptoms. However, its links to a birth defect called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-microcephaly-2016-2">microcephaly</a>, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads, make these reports of sexual transmission troubling for pregnant women.</p><h2>For that reason, here are the CDC's guidelines on sexual transmission for pregnant women:</h2><ul><li>Pregnant women and their male sex partners should discuss potential Zika exposure with the woman's healthcare provider. This includes any history of Zika-like infection.</li><li>Men with a pregnant sex partner who have traveled or live in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-local-transmission-cases-2016-1">areas where the virus is being locally transmitted</a> should consistently and correctly use condoms or abstain from sex during the pregnancy.</li><li>Generally, men who have traveled or live in areas with local Zika transmission who are worried about sexual transmission should consider using condoms or abstain. </li><li>The CDC isn't sure how long the risk of sexually transmitted Zika lasts, but said they are looking into answering that question. Zika virus tends to persist for about a week in blood, but it's unclear how long it persists in other bodily fluids like semen or saliva. It's even more unclear if saliva is able to transmit the virus, though there have been <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/d96805a3f3b14c339a066c1ded565166">reports</a> of Zika virus in saliva samples. </li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hope-solo-might-skip-the-olympics-because-of-zika-2016-2">Hope Solo says she might skip the Olympics because of Zika</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FqdWd0MDE6Z-Ntc3hWniayoshSJJYLV_" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Scientists just got some worrisome new information about the link between Zika and sex

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Associated Press/Alan Diaz</span></p><p class="caption">Miami-Dade mosquito control inspector Yasser "Jazz" Compagines sprays a chemical mist into a storm drain, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, in Miami Beach, Fla.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/zika">Zika</a> virus that spread rapidly in 2016 is still a major problem in much of Latin America and the Caribbean, and it could continue to spread.</strong></li><li><strong>If a pregnant woman gets infected, her baby could be born with neurological damage and microcephaly, a condition characterized by a small head and underdeveloped brain.</strong></li><li><strong>In order to make it easier to develop anti-viral drugs and a potential vaccine for Zika, researchers just created the most detailed three-dimensional image of the virus ever seen.</strong></li></ul><p><br />Zika doesn't dominate headlines the way it did when it suddenly became widespread in the Americas in 2016.</p><p>But the virus is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tick-and-mosquito-diseases-tripled-cdc-2018-5">still a serious problem</a>. If a pregnant woman is infected, Zika virus can cause babies to be born with neurological damage and microcephaly (a particularly small head and underdeveloped brain).</p><p> The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/index.html">CDC still says that pregnant women, their partners, and people considering pregnancy should postpone travel to</a> large parts of the Caribbean and Latin America.</p><p>Researchers are desperately searching for a way to fight the virus. That effort requires a better understanding of the structure of Zika, which would makes it easier to design vaccines or anti-viral drugs.</p><p>On Tuesday, a team of researchers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969212618301709">published the highest-resolution image</a> ever created of the Zika virus:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Sevvana et al.</span></p><p class="caption">This high resolution image shows the structure of Zika virus. The three envelope glycoproteins (E) are colored in yellow, blue and red and the glycan is colored in green.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>To create the highly accurate three-dimensional model, the researchers used electron microscopy to capture thousands of images of the atomic structure of the virus, all of which could be combined into a 3D image.</p><p>Since Zika is more stable than related viruses in the flavivirus family - like dengue, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis virus - it was possible to create an especially accurate model.</p><p>This model reveals the parts of the atomic structure that might be vulnerable.</p><p>"With the higher resolution, it is now possible to efficiently design vaccines and engineer anti-viral compounds that inhibit the virus,"  Michael G. Rossmann, a structural biologist at Purdue University and an author of the new study, <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/cp-zih062018.php">said in a statement</a>.</p><p>Researchers still aren't sure whether they'll be able to design a vaccine for Zika. But this new model will at least aid that work.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-zikas-virus-spread-brazil-united-states-2016-6">This animated map traces the shocking spread of Zika and where it could hit next</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

The most detailed image of the Zika virus ever captured might reveal a way to fight the birth-defect causing disease

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Felipe Dana</span></p><p class="caption">A baby in Brazil born with microcephaly, a condition in which the brain is abnormally small.</p></div><p></p></div></div>The Zika virus, which is quickly becoming a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-in-us-2016-1">global problem</a>, has made its way into more countries. </p><p>The CDC released travel health notices Friday that named eight more countries in which the disease has spread via mosquito bites. These include Samoa, Cape Verde, and more countries in South America and the Caribbean. </p><p>The Zika virus is primarily transmitted by Aedes aegypti, the type of mosquito responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever, and a whole host of other tropical infectious diseases.</p><p>Originally identified in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/s1231-zika.html">1947 in Uganda</a>, Zika was relatively unknown until 2007, when there was an outbreak of the virus in <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa0805715">Micronesia</a>. The mosquitoes pick up the virus from infected people, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/transmission/index.html">according to the CDC</a>. </p><p>There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika.</p><p>The increased presence of the virus, coupled with its connection with birth defects in babies whose mothers have been infected with the disease, has led to a number of CDC alerts and guidelines in recent weeks.</p><p>For example, the CDC's travel notices are especially geared toward pregnant women, because of concerns about the virus' connection to brain abnormalities in babies and other neurological conditions. </p><p>Brazil, one of the areas hit hardest by the disease, has had <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f61956c490e347e69e519b46eab38560/microcephaly-cases-brazil-rise-3893-linked-zika">about 20 times</a> normal amount of babies born with a condition called microcephaly in 2015 compared to 2014. This birth defect, in which the brain is abnormally small, was often found after the mother had Zika virus-like symptoms early in the pregnancy.</p><p>Researchers still aren't sure whether the virus causes the birth defects, but there does appear to be a link. Earlier this week, the CDC issued interim guidelines for pregnant women traveling to countries <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/interim-guidelines-for-pregnant-women-during-the-zika-outbreak-2016-1">where the disease is being transmitted</a>, while some countries have gone as far as to advise citizens not to get <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-el-salvador-urges-against-pregnancies-until-2018-as-zika-virus-spreads-2016-1">pregnant</a>.</p><p>Because Zika hasn't posed a threat until very recently, there aren't many treatments or vaccines in development, though <a href="http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Inovio+Pharma+(INO),+GeneOne+Life+Science+Enter+Collaboration+for+Zika+Virus+Vaccine/11239373.html">companies are jumping on</a> board to find possible ways to fight back against a possible epidemic. Others are trying <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/could-genetically-engineered-mosquitos-stop-zika-2016-1">to target the mosquito itself</a> and kill it off to keep the disease from spreading, but it might be a while before those efforts are widely spread.</p><p>Here's the list of the 22 countries and territories that have had local transmission of the Zika virus, so far:</p><ul><li>Barbados</li><li>Bolivia</li><li>Brazil</li><li>Cape Verde</li><li>Colombia</li><li>Ecuador</li><li>El Salvador</li><li>French Guiana</li><li>Guadeloupe</li><li>Guatemala</li><li>Haiti</li><li>Honduras</li><li>Martinique</li><li>Mexico</li><li>Panama</li><li>Puerto Rico</li><li>Saint Martin</li><li>Samoa</li><li>Guyana</li><li>Paraguay</li><li>Suriname</li><li>Venezuela</li></ul>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-affecting-us-travelers-cdc-warns-2016-1">An untreatable virus that's linked to birth defects is now affecting the US</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="NhOWtiMDE6F54IhgaZAEgGteumGrwGr3" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The untreatable Zika virus is expanding its reach - and it's not letting up anytime soon

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Kevin Frayer/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The Zika virus - a virus transmitted by mosquitoes - has taken over many countries. It started in Brazil, and has rapidly moved to other countries such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-is-spreading-rapidly-across-puerto-rico-2016-6">Puerto Rico</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-cuba-reports-first-case-of-zika-contracted-in-the-country-2016-3">Cuba</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-venezuela-confirms-3-dead-from-zika-complications-2016-2">Venezuela</a>, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/first-zika-death-in-us-2016-4">United States</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-virus-local-transmission-cases-2016-1">more.</a></p><p>Zika has been linked with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-zika-causes-birth-defects-including-microcephaly-2016-4">birth defects, such as microcephaly</a> - a <span>neurological disorder that causes babies to be born with small craniums and limited brain development. </span><span>The untreatable virus has caused many <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/first-zika-death-in-us-2016-4">deaths</a> and has even convinced some top athletes headed to the Olympics in Rio this August to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jason-day-withdraws-from-olympics-zika-2016-6">withdrawal</a> from the competition. </span></p><p><span>The virus may be untreatable, but researchers are attempting to find another way to stop the devastating virus. A mosquito lab in China - the largest mosquito factory in the world - is working to end the Zika virus. Getty photographer Kevin Frayer recently visited the factory.</span></p>

You Searched For "Zika virus" and got 13 results

Zika virus: Kerala health department urges people to be vigilant

PTI

14 heartbreaking images of the untreatable Zika virus, which is causing one of the biggest public health crises in Brazil's history

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First Zika virus case detected in Kerala, says state's health minister

IANS

India is dealing with its largest ever outbreak of the Zika virus

Dilsher Dhillon

Here's how airlines are reacting to the Zika virus outbreak

Benjamin Zhang

The CDC just released new guidelines about the fast-spreading Zika virus

Lydia Ramsey

Zika is no longer a public emergency - but it is 'here to stay'

Lydia Ramsey,Reuters

Watch the spread of Zika in the Americas in one terrifying GIF

Lydia Ramsey,Dylan Roach

Zika is 'on the doorstep of Africa'

Lydia Ramsey

Scientists just got some worrisome new information about the link between Zika and sex

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The most detailed image of the Zika virus ever captured might reveal a way to fight the birth-defect causing disease

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The untreatable Zika virus is expanding its reach - and it's not letting up anytime soon

Lydia Ramsey

Inside the massive mosquito factory where scientists are working to stop the Zika virus

Courtney Verrill

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