The Centers for Disease Control just added 4 more countries to the list of places with Zika
Thomson Reuters
The Zika virus, which is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes, has been spreading around the world since 2015. Once infected, only about 20% of people ever show symptoms, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.
The countries that have joined the list of places with mosquito-transmitted Zika are:
- Angola
- Guinea-Bissau
- Maldives
- Solomon Islands
It's the first time since November 2016 that the CDC has updated its list of countries with local transmission. (The last additions were Palau and Montserrat.) Here's the list of all the current places with the virus.
The main reason Zika is troubling is that it is a cause of birth defects, including microcephaly - a condition where a child is born with an abnormally small head - in babies whose mothers have had Zika. The virus has also been linked to a neurological condition called Guillain-Barré syndrome.
In November 2016, the World Health Organization said Zika was no longer an international public health emergency. "We are not downgrading the importance of Zika, by placing this as a longer program of work, we are sending the message that Zika is here to stay," Dr. Peter Salama, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program said at the time.
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- Include 4 hrs of physical activity, 8 hrs sleep in routine for optimal health, suggests study
- 11 must-visit tourist places in Nainital in 2024
- Indegene's ₹1,842 crore IPO to open on May 6
- BSE shares tank nearly 19% after Sebi directive on regulatory fee
- Nainital bucket list: 9 experiences you can't miss in 2024