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Suspect Second Sexually Transmitted Zika Case In Dallas?

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niman Grand Master

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 “We have one documented case, and now maybe a second one in Dallas of sexual transmission but that’s very, very rare, but if there’s an exchange of blood or bodily fluids there is that potential for a spread,” says Dr. Catherine Troisi of the UT Health School of Public Health .

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niman Grand Master

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The bloody truth about Zika virus

POSTED 5:28 PM, FEBRUARY 3, 2016, BY MBODDEKER
 
 

HOUSTON - Listen up! Mosquito pricks are not the only ones you have to worry about giving you the Zika virus. “We have one documented case, and now maybe a second one in Dallas of sexual transmission but that’s very, very rare, but if there’s an exchange of blood or bodily fluids there is that potential for a spread,” says Dr. Catherine Troisi of the UT Health School of Public Health .

This “bloody” truth has the folks at the Blood Center on alert. Susan Rossmann, Chief Medical Officer at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, says, “We are asking people who have been to the areas affected by Zika which is all of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America to not donate blood for 28 days after they come back. That’s because people may have Zika and not know it.”

She`s right. Most people don`t have any symptoms, and only about one in five even knows they`re sick.

And, the Zika virus is spreading very quickly. “Because the virus hasn’t been around in this part of the world, nobody has any immunity, so everybody is susceptible,” says Dr. Troisi.

At Bush Intercontinental Airport, we checked in with vacationers coming home from Latin America to see if they're worried.

“No we’re not. We didn’t even see a mosquito when we were there," says Jim Crebbin.

One woman told us, “I’m not at all worried."

But her friend was saying something else,  “To some degree. I’ve got younger kids who are eventually going to get pregnant.”

We also ran into one young woman who has  a friend in El Salvador that has the Zika virus. She told us, “She went to the doctor, she had a rash, and they tested her and it was Zika. The doctor told her not to have children for two years because it would directly affect the fetus.”

That's serious. On the upside, experts believe once the Zika virus clears the body, the patient will be immune to it for the rest of their life.

The Zika virus is more proof that the only good mosquito is a dead one.

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niman Grand Master

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DCHHS Provides Update on 
Zika Virus Cases

 

DALLAS (Feb. 4, 2016) – Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) has completed the initial public health investigation on the two Zika cases reported Feb. 2. Both patients have recovered fully. As part of the public health follow-up, the patients have been advised to follow up with their physician. DCHHS conducted mosquito surveillance in the area of the patients’ residence and did not identify any mosquito/vector activity. See the DCHHS health advisory for more information.DCHHS does not have further updates on the two cases reported Feb. 2.

 

DCHHS is awaiting four Zika virus specimen results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

For information on Zika virus, go to the DCHHS website.

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niman Grand Master

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Media Statement

 

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

                                                                         

Contact: CDC Media Relations

404-639-3286                                                 

 

 

CDC encourages following guidance to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus

 

CDC has committed to sharing the latest information on Zika virus as it becomes available. On February 5, 2016, CDC published interim recommendations for protecting people against sexual transmission of Zika virus.  This guidance was issued after lab confirmation of the first case of Zika virus infection in a non-traveler in the continental United States, which was linked to sexual contact with an infected partner.

CDC and state public health departments are now investigating 14 new reports of possible sexual transmission of Zika virus, including several involving pregnant women. In two of the new suspected sexual transmission events, Zika virus infection has been confirmed in women whose only known risk factor was sexual contact with an ill male partner who had recently traveled to an area with local Zika virus transmission; testing for the male partners is still pending. For four additional suspected sexual transmission events, preliminary laboratory evidence (IgM antibody test) is available for the women, but confirmatory tests are pending. For eight other suspected events, the investigation is ongoing. In all events for which information is available, travelers were men and reported symptom onset was within 2 weeks before the non-traveling female partner’s symptoms began.  Like previously reported cases of sexual transmission, these cases involve possible transmission of the virus from men to their sex partners.  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.

Although sexual transmission of Zika virus infection is possible, mosquito bites remain the primary way that Zika virus is transmitted. Because there currently is no vaccine or treatment for Zika virus, the best way to avoid Zika virus infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Because these new reports suggest sexual transmission may be a more likely means of transmission for Zika virus than previously considered, CDC issued a Health Advisory Notice (HAN) today to underscore the importance of adhering to the interim guidance published on February 5.

The CDC’s February 5 interim guidance includes:

Recommendations for pregnant women and men with pregnant sex partners who live in or have traveled to Zika-affected areas:

·         Pregnant women and their male sex partners should discuss the male partner’s potential exposures and history of Zika-like illness with the pregnant woman’s health care provider (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/). Providers should consult CDC’s guidelines for evaluation and testing of pregnant women.

·         Men with a pregnant sex partner who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission and their pregnant sex partners should use condoms the right way every time during sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) or abstain from sexual activity for the duration of the pregnancy. Using latex condoms the right way every time reduces the risk of sexual transmission of many infections, including those caused by other viruses.

Recommendations for non-pregnant women, and men with non-pregnant sex partners who live in or have traveled to Zika-affected areas:

·         Couples in which a man resides in or has traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who are concerned about sexual transmission of Zika virus may consider using condoms the right way every time during sex or abstaining from sexual activity.  

·         Couples may consider several factors when making this complex and personal decision to use condoms or not have sex:

o    Zika virus illness is usually mild. An estimated 4 out of 5 people infected never have symptoms; when symptoms occur they may last from several days to one week.

o    The risk of Zika infection depends on how long and how much a person has been exposed to infected mosquitoes, and the steps taken to prevent mosquito bites while in an affected area.

·         The science is not clear on how long the risk should be avoided. Research is now underway to answer this question as soon as possible. If you are trying to get pregnant, you may consider testing in discussion with your health care provider.

These investigations are preliminary, and CDC will continue to update its guidance as more information becomes available.  

###

 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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niman Grand Master

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Update: Interim Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus — United States, 2016

Health Alert Network logo.

This is an official

CDC HEALTH ADVISORY

Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
February 23, 2016, 14:15 EST (2:15 PM EST)
CDCHAN-00388

Summary: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published recommendations for protecting people against sexual transmission of Zika virus (1). As stated in that report, information about possible sexual transmission of Zika virus was based on one published report of transmission from a man to a woman, one published report in which Zika virus was detected in semen of a man with hematospermia, and one case of possible sexual  transmission then under investigation in Texas. An additional case of Zika virus detected in semen in a man was reported after the CDC recommendations were published (2).  As of February 23, 2016, CDC and state public health departments are investigating 14 additional reports of possible sexual transmission of the virus, including several involving pregnant women. While additional investigations are being completed, CDC is issuing this HAN Advisory as a strong reminder to state, local, and US territorial public health departments, clinicians, and the public to be aware of and adhere to current recommendations for preventing sexual transmission of Zika virus, particularly for men with pregnant partners. These recommendations may change as more information becomes available.

 

Background

CDC is working with state, local, and US territorial public health departments, US Government agencies, and international partners in response to outbreaks of Zika virus disease (Zika) in multiple territories and countries in the Americas. Accumulating evidence links maternal Zika virus infection with congenital microcephaly, miscarriages, and other adverse fetal outcomes (3). In addition, there are reports of a possible association with Guillain-Barré syndrome (4). No vaccine or specific antiviral drug is currently available to prevent or treat Zika.

Zika virus is spread primarily by the bite of infected Aedes species mosquitoes (most commonly, Aedes aegypti). In areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing, people should follow precautions to prevent mosquito bites (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention/). Sexual transmission of Zika virus also can occur and is of particular concern during pregnancy. In early February 2016, the Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services announced an occurrence of sexually transmitted Zika infection (5). On February 5, 2016, following the confirmation of this Texas sexual transmission event, CDC published interim guidelines for preventing sexual transmission of Zika virus (1).

As of February 23, 2016, CDC and state public health departments are investigating 14 additional reports of possible sexual transmission of the virus, including several events involving possible transmission to pregnant women. In two of these new suspected sexual transmission events that have been investigated to date, Zika virus infection has been confirmed in women whose only known risk factor was sexual contact with an ill male partner who had recently travelled to an area with local Zika virus transmission; testing for the male partners is pending. For four additional suspected sexual transmission events, preliminary laboratory evidence (IgM antibody test) is available for the women, but confirmatory testing is still pending. For eight suspected events, the investigation is ongoing. In all events for which information is available, travelers reported symptom onset within 2 weeks prior to their non-traveling female partner’s symptom onset.

Because these reports suggest sexual transmission may be a more likely means of transmission for Zika virus than previously considered, CDC is issuing this HAN Advisory to underscore the importance of adhering to the interim guidance published on February 5 and outlined below. The recommendations, which apply to men who reside in or have traveled to areas with active Zika virus transmission (http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/) and their sex partners, will be revised as more information becomes available.

Recommendations for men and their pregnant partners

Men who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who have a pregnant partner should abstain from sexual activity or consistently and correctly use condoms during sex (i.e., vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, or fellatio) for the duration of the pregnancy. Pregnant women should discuss their male partner’s potential exposures to mosquitoes and history of Zika-like illness (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms) with their health care provider; providers can consult CDC’s guidelines for evaluation and testing of pregnant women (6).

Recommendations for men and their nonpregnant sex partners

Men who reside in or have traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission who are concerned about sexual transmission of Zika virus might consider abstaining from sexual activity or using condoms consistently and correctly during sex. Couples considering this personal decision should take several factors into account. Most infections are asymptomatic, and when illness does occur, it is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week; severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. The risk for acquiring vector-borne Zika virus in areas of active transmission depends on the duration and extent of exposure to infected mosquitoes and the steps taken to prevent mosquito bites (http://www.cdc.gov/zika/prevention). After infection, Zika virus might persist in semen when it is no longer detectable in blood; studies to determine the duration of persistence in semen are not yet completed.

Accumulating evidence of sexual transmission suggests that exposure to Zika virus includes unprotected sexual contact with a symptomatic male partner who resides in or has traveled to an area of active Zika virus transmission. Zika virus testing is currently recommended to establish a diagnosis of infection in exposed persons with signs or symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease, and may be offered to asymptomatic pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus (6). However, interpretation of results is complex, and health care providers should contact their state, local, or territorial health department for assistance with arranging testing and interpreting results. At this time, testing of exposed, asymptomatic men for the purpose of assessing risk for sexual transmission is not recommended. Sexual transmission of Zika virus from infected women to their sex partners has not been documented, nor has transmission from persons who are asymptomatically infected.  Sexual transmission of many infections, including those caused by other viruses, is reduced by consistent and correct use of latex condoms.

As we learn more about the incidence and duration of seminal shedding from infected men and the utility and availability of testing in this context, recommendations to prevent sexual transmission of Zika virus will be updated.

References

  1. Oster AM, Brooks JT, Stryker JE, et al. Interim Guidelines for prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus — United States, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:120–121. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e1.htm
  2. Atkinson B, Hearn P, Afrough B, et al. Detection of Zika virus in semen [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2016 May [cited February 22, 2016].http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2205.160107
  3. Martines RB, Bhatnagar J, Keating MK, et al. Evidence of Zika virus infection in brain and placental tissues from two congenitally infected newborns and two fetal losses — Brazil, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65 (Early Release)(06):1-2. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6506e1.htm?s_cid=mm6506e1_e.  Published February 19, 2016.
  4. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Rapid risk assessment: Zika virus epidemic in the Americas: potential association with microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome – 10 December 2015. http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/zika-virus-americas-association-with-microcephaly-rapid-risk-assessment.pdf. Published 2015. Accessed Feb 1, 2016.
  5. Dallas County Health and Human Services.  DCHHS reports first Zika virus case in Dallas County acquired through sexual transmission. February 2, 2016. http://www.dallascounty.org/department/hhs/press/documents/PR2-2-16DCHHSReportsFirstCaseofZikaVirusThroughSexualTransmission.pdf
  6. Oduyebo T, Petersen EE, Rasmussen SA, et al. Update: interim guidelines for health care providers caring for pregnant women and women of reproductive age with possible Zika virus exposure—United States, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6505e2.htm?s_cid=mm6505e2_e

For More Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

http://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00388.asp

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