Zika virus How do people catch Zika virus? Zika virus is primarily transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which also transmits chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever. Zika virus can also be transmitted through sex. Zika virus has been detected in blood, urine, amniotic fluids, semen, saliva as well as body fluids found in the brain and spinal cord. Where does Zika virus occur? Local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes mosquito has been reported on the continents of Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
On 18 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point of Trinidad and Tobago notified PAHO/WHO of the country’s first case of Zika virus infection. The patient is a 61-year-old female who reported fever and rash on 10 February. The patient’s blood sample was taken on 13 February and, on 17 February, was confirmed to be positive for Zika virus by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) laboratory. The patient has a history of recent travel to New Zealand, which has not reported any locally-acquired cases of Zika virus infection. As such, transmission in Trinidad and Tobago is likely to be autochthonous.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern after the rapid increase of microencephaly cases in newborn babies, which is strongly believed to be linked to women with an infectious history of the Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy. http://www.who.int/emergencies/zika-virus/en/
On 16 January 2016, Ministry of Health of Bolivia, through its National IHR Focal Points (NFP), notified PAHO/WHO of the first laboratory-confirmed cases of locally-acquired Zika virus infection in the country. The case is a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Portachuelo, Santa Cruz Department, with onset of symptoms on 8 January. She has no recent history of travel. On 12 January, samples of the patient were sent to the National Center for Tropical Diseases for testing. On 14 January, the case was confirmed by polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) (viral genome detection).
Between 8 October and 16 October 2015, the National IHR Focal Points of Brazil and Colombia notified PAHO/WHO of cases of Zika virus infection. Brazil In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed autochthonous transmission of Zika virus in the northeastern part of the country. As of 8 October, autochthonous cases of Zika virus had been detected in 14 states: Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Paraná, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Roraima, and São Paulo.