niman Posted February 22, 2016 Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 To date, three Massachusetts residents have contracted the disease while traveling to Central or South America.http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20160220/NEWS/160229517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted February 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 Bruce Aylward, Executive Director of Outbreaks and Health Emergencies of the WHO, speaks during a news conference of the World Health Organization, WHO, at the European headquarters of the United Nations, in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday. Aylward is predicting that Brazil will host a "fantastic Olympics" and that the mosquito-borne Zika virus will be "way down" by the time the Summer Games begin in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)Massachusetts officials prepare to monitor for Zika virus COMMENT 0 0 By Jim Haddadin Daily News Staff Posted Feb. 20, 2016 at 7:25 PM FRAMINGHAM — While health officials say it’s “extraordinarily unlikely” the Zika virus will spread in Massachusetts, authorities across the state are taking precautions to monitor for the disease and search for signs of the mosquitoes that cause it to proliferate.Brazil has recorded more than 1 million suspected Zika infections in recent months amid fears that the virus could be linked to a spike in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads — microcephaly — and to a rare neurological syndrome that can cause temporary paralysis in people of all ages.While Zika has spread to 36 countries, mostly in Latin America, there has been no transmission of the virus by mosquitoes within the U.S.David Henley, superintendent of the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project, said even if the virus moves north, the mosquitoes that spread it are largely absent in Massachusetts.Aedes aegypti, the primary species thought to transfer the disease, is found in California, the southern United States, and along the Gulf Coast, but it hasn’t moved into Massachusetts, Henley said.“Even with climate change, it's unlikely that that species will ever reach this area,” he said.Another species that can carry Zika, Aedes albopictus (also known as the Asian tiger mosquito), has better odds of spreading in the state, but thus far, it has only managed to establish a population in the city of New Bedford, where it’s been found annually since 2009, Henley said.As they prepare to launch their annual mosquito monitoring campaign, Henley said he and his staff will be keeping a watch for the Asian tiger mosquito, though it has turned up in only a handful of other parts of the state to date."Really, it appears like the only place where it's actually overwintering is in New Bedford," he said.In the event the species becomes more prevalent in Massachusetts in the future, Henley said mosquito control efforts would likely focus on removing water-holding containers in urban environments, such as spare tires, which give the tiger mosquito a place to breed.“(The asian tiger mosquito) is a difficult mosquito to spray for, so public education becomes more important,” he said.The World Health Organization and U.S. health authorities have recommended that pregnant women postpone traveling to infected areas and their partners use condoms or abstain from sex if they live in or have visited Zika-affected areas.To date, three Massachusetts residents have contracted the disease while traveling to Central or South America.Dr. Al DeMaria, state epidemiologist and medical director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease, said the chance of contracting Zika virus in Massachusetts is “pretty close to zero,” though health officials are cautioning people to take precautions while traveling outside the country.http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20160220/NEWS/160229517 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted February 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2016 Map Updatehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kT4qLMXp3SLU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 The number of confirmed Zika virus cases in Massachusetts has increased to three, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Center For Disease Control.Massachusetts Department of Public Health spokesperson Scott Zoback could not confirm which communities the individuals are from, but all travelled outside Massachusetts, according to the CDC.http://wwlp.com/2016/03/10/third-zika-case-confirmed-in-massachusetts/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 UPDATED: 3 Confirmed Cases of Zika Virus in MassachusettsMassachusetts Department of Public Health spokesperson Scott Zoback could not confirm which communities the individuals are from.Framingham, MABy SUSAN PETRONI (Patch Staff) - March 10, 2016 8:20 pm ET ShareTweetGoogle PlusRedditEmailComments Originally posted at 5:50 p.m. Updated with national numbers of Zika virus cases.***FRAMINGHAM, MA - The number of confirmed Zika virus cases in Massachusetts has increased to three, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health and the Center For Disease Control.Massachusetts Department of Public Health spokesperson Scott Zoback could not confirm which communities the individuals are from, but all travelled outside Massachusetts, according to the CDC.The first Massachusetts case was confirmed in January.The man, whose name and community have not been identified, also travelled outside the continental United States.Zika virus is a mosquito-borne flavivirus (in the same family as yellow fever, dengue and West Nile viruses), previously found largely in Africa and Southeast Asia.The CDC, as of March 9, has 193 confirmed cases reported in the "continental United States," with the most cases reported in Florida - 49.More from Framingham PatchNestle Recalls Frozen Dinners Due to Glass ContaminationUPDATED: 2 Arrested For Series of Framingham Home BurglariesClearGov Wins TechCrunch Pitch-Off in BostonThe biggest risk of the virus is to pregnant women and their unborn children.Several reports havelinked Zika in mothers with Microcephaly in infants, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says. Microcephaly is a potentially life-threatening birth defect where a baby’s head is smaller than expected.People infected with Zika can expect fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes for a couple of days or up to a week, and hospitalization is rare, according to the CDCSign up for free local news alerts and daily newsletter for your townIn early January, the U.S. Department of Public Health warned of dramatic increases in cases in the United States.At least 14 countries or territories in the Americas, including Puerto Rico, have been identified as local transmission locations. You can view these locations here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted March 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2016 Map updatehttps://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&hl=en&authuser=0&authuser=0&mid=zv94AJqgUct4.kT4qLMXp3SLU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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