What you need to know about the Zika virus

ABC6 News

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

Zika virus has spread across Central and South America over the past year. A Massachusetts man contracted it, along with at least 31 other people here in the U.S. after traveling outside the country. For the typical adult, the virus is not a big deal. Only 1 in 5 show symptoms. But for women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant, it can cause serious repercussions.
 
"What is very alarming is that they have associated it with several cases of microcephaly which is an abnormally small head in babies who are born to woman who are infected with the virus,"says Dr. Michael Smit with Hasbro Childrens Hospital.

Dr. Smit says microcephaly affects the way the babies brain develops. They can have developmental delays, or even die from it.

"Right now what they think is that you have to be bitten by a mosquito that has been infected by biting another person who is infected,"says Dr. Smit.

But it’s a certain kind of mosquito.. Unlikely to make its  way here..
because they cannot survive in this part of the country.
common symptoms include a fever, rash, joint pain and pink eye.
the center for disease control and prevention has issued a travel alert for pregnant woman in 24 countries mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America areas.
it’s something the Rhode Island Department of Health is strongly suggesting pregnant women follow.

"If it’s not an urgent or necessary travel and you are pregnant, it might be something that you could consider waiting or going some place else,"says Director of the R.I. Department of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott.

The CDC has released a list of Countries and territories with active Zika virus transmission, and are suggesting pregnant woman not to travel to. Those include:

  • Barbados
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • French Guiana
  • Guadeloupe
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Martinique
  • Mexico
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Puerto Rico
  • Saint Martin
  • Suriname
  • U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Venezuela
  • Cape Verde
  • Samoa

For more information you can visit the website http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/

(c)WLNE-TV 2016

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