Zika Cases In Alabama Increase To Five

[niman]

Alabama Residents Tested for Zika Virus as of May 27, 2016

http://www.adph.org/mosquito/index.asp?id=7427

 

Number Tested Positive	Number of Submissions	Number with Results Pending
5	76	6

[niman]

Map Update

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[niman]

Houston County Resident Confirmed Recent Zika Case

By Press Release: AL Dept. of Public Health | 

Posted: Fri 6:22 PM, May 27, 2016  | 

Updated: Fri 9:34 PM, May 27, 2016

     

ALABAMA (WTVY) The Alabama Department of Public Health reports the fourth and fifth travel-related cases of the Zika virus in Alabama residents. The positive specimens were from residents of Houston and Jefferson counties. In February and March, Zika cases were reported in residents of Morgan, Jefferson and Shelby counties.

State Health Officer Dr. Tom Miller said, "We will implement enhanced surveillance with these two cases. The Department's Bureau of Clinical Laboratories in Montgomery can now perform Zika testing, so we have a greater opportunity to prevent transmission of the disease because test results are received much faster. We continue to work with the medical community to identify high-risk individuals."

Enhanced surveillance means that the individuals with Zika will be asked to provide the names of their household and sexual contacts. In turn, these contacts will be asked if they have Zika symptoms. These persons will be asked to use insect repellents to prevent mosquito bites that could lead to possible disease transmission.

Zika virus is transmitted primarily through the bites of Aedes species mosquitoes. These mosquito species are the same ones that transmit dengue and chikungunya viruses which have also been associated with travel-related illness over the past few years. Zika virus is also spread through blood transfusion and sexual contact.

Infection with the Zika virus causes only mild symptoms in the majority of the cases, but it is now known to cause birth defects and other poor pregnancy-related outcomes if infection occurs during pregnancy.

All pregnant women with a history of travel to an area with Zika virus transmission should be evaluated. Pregnant women reporting clinical illness consistent with Zika virus disease during or within 2 weeks of travel should be tested for Zika virus infection. In addition, pregnant women without any symptoms who have traveled to Zika-affected areas should be tested for the Zika-virus between 2-12 weeks post travel.

http://www.wtvy.com/content/news/Hosuton-County-Resident-Confirmed-Recent-Zika-Case-381169971.html

 

[niman]

Map Update

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[niman]

There are Now 5 Confirmed Cases of Zika in Alabama

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New reports from the Alabama Department of Public Health confirm that two more cases of the Zika virus have been diagnosed in Alabama, bringing the state’s total count up to 5 cases.
So far, the most recent cases were found in residents of Houston and Jefferson counties. Previously, the three other cases were found in patients in Morgan, Jefferson, and Shelby County. According to the Times Daily, the confirmed Alabama cases were all travel-related.
The Zika virus is most often transmitted via bites from infected mosquitoes. However, it can also be transmitted sexually and through blood transfusions.
While Zika typically manifests as a mild virus, comparable to the flu, it can cause birth defects if a mother becomes infected during pregnancy. Very recently, a child in New Jersey was born infected with the Zika virus. The baby has been diagnosed with microcephaly, a disease that causes babies to have small brains and heads. For pregnant women with Zika, microcephaly is a common birth defect.
In the wake of this virus, officials across the U.S. have put out warnings –particularly for pregnant women — to protect themselves during the summer season. Preventative measures include wearing long sleeves when possible, utilizing mosquito nets and window and door screens, and EPA-approved bug spray.
Researchers are also looking to the future, importing the Zika virus to the University of Honolulu in Hawaii in order to find a vaccine that can help to prevent the virus from affecting individuals bitten by infected mosquitoes. When available, vaccines are extremely effective and prevent more than 2.5 million deaths per year.
But for now, there is no vaccine to speak of. That being said, pregnant women who have traveled to Zika-affected areas should be screened for the virus. Any pregnant women who exhibit the symptoms within two weeks of traveling should be evaluated at soon as possible. Women who are pregnant but do not have symptoms should get tested between two and 12 weeks after the trip.

http://thelafayettesun.com/there-are-now-5-confirmed-cases-of-zika-in-alabama/