As US Zika cases slow, CDC expert urges vigilance
"By 2016, there were only 170 cases reported. "We want people to know that the outbreak is going well from a numbers perspective, but fewer cases don't mean we are completely safe from Zika," Beard said. In 2015, Puerto Rico reported at least 35,000 cases of Zika, the mosquito-borne disease that can cause devastating congenital birth defects, including microcephaly. Researchers of flaviviruses, which cause vector-borne illnesses like dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, call this phenomenon "burn out." Beard said that he, and others at the CDC, predict that Zika will look a lot like chikungunya in the coming year.
CDC Updates Guidance on Zika Testing for Pregnant Women
Asymptomatic pregnant women who have recent possible Zika virus exposure but no ongoing possible exposure are not routinely recommended to have Zika virus testing. Asymptomatic pregnant women with ongoing possible Zika virus exposure (www.cdc.gov) should be offered Zika virus NAT testing three times during pregnancy. Pregnant women with recent possible Zika virus exposure and symptoms of Zika virus disease (www.cdc.gov) should be tested to determine the cause of their symptoms. Pregnant women with recent possible Zika virus exposure who have a fetus with prenatal ultrasound findings consistent with congenital Zika virus syndrome should receive Zika virus testing to help establish the etiology of the birth defects. updating its interim guidance for health care professionals caring for pregnant women with possible Zika virus exposure.collected by :Lucy William
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