(Image source from: Connecticut asks doctors to report Zika virus cases})

Health officials of the Connecticut state ask doctors and care providers to report all suspected cases of the Zika virus to the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the patient’s local health department. Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a notice that, pregnant women should avoid countries in  South America, Central America and the Caribbean, where the Zika virus found.  

Dr. Raul Pino, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health said that, “All people, especially pregnant women, who are traveling to areas where Zika virus is found, should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites to reduce their risk of infection of Zika virus as well as other mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue and Chikungunya,  travelers returning from areas with Zika activity should seek medical care if they experience a fever and symptoms of infection.” The symptoms of the Zika virus are mild, like, rash, aches and pains.

Dr. Nicholas Bennett, the medical director of infectious diseases at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, said that, “The big problem that comes to life recently has been reported from Brazil, where they noticed a lot of birth defects, babies born with smalls heads, a condition called microcephaly.  The concern is that it’s linked to the Zika virus infecting pregnant women in the northern areas of Brazil.”

According to the U.S. health officials, there is no case of Zika virus has found in the Connecticut. U.S. first case of Zika virus is a baby born in Hawaii on Saturday whose mother was likely infected, while she was in Brazil.

Medical Entomologist with the Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Dr. Phil Armstrong, said that, “The mosquito species that is primarily responsible for transmission of Zika virus to people is not found in Connecticut. Closely related species are present in very low numbers and are unlikely to present a risk of Zika virus infection to people. If the virus spreads to the United States mainland it will most likely be identified first in Florida or the gulf states.”

Nandini