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EMERGENCY
MEDICINE
cies. It is known that Zika virus is cleared from the blood in about ZIKA VIRUS FACTS
one week and up to 11 weeks in semen. The CDC recommends that
the patient discuss their pregnancy intentions and planned travel The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
with their provider. vention has issued a travel alert for Mexico, the
Caribbean, and Central and South America,
What’s next? where Zika virus is circulating. The virus has been
Unfortunately at this time, there are no available treatments nor linked to birth defects, and the CDC is advising
pregnant women to postpone travel to affected
vaccine available against the Zika virus. State and local health de- countries.
partments are rapidly working to develop processes to streamline
testing for Zika either through the CDC or in state or local labora- What is Zika virus?
tories. The National Institutes of Health and Human Services has Zika is a mosquito-borne virus named for the
increased funding for all levels of research to explore the public
health and perinatal implications of Zika. forest in Uganda where it was discovered.
As of Feb. 17, 2016, the CDC has documented 82 cases of How is it spread?
travel-associated cases of Zika with no cases of locally acquired vec- The Zika virus is transmitted to people by the
tor-borne cases. Cases documented in the United States will likely
continue to climb with increased media attention and screening. Aedas family of mosquitoes. It can be transmitted
As summer approaches in San Antonio and South Texas, it is pos- from an infected mother to her child during preg-
sible that we may see local outbreaks here in the region given the nancy and delivery.
presence of the mosquito vector here. The San Antonio Metropol-
itan Health District, in conjunction with the State Health Depart- What are the symptoms?
ment and CDC, is prepared and poised to address issues as they Symptoms can include fever, rash, joint pain
arise. For now the best approach is to implement mosquito control
efforts (removal and/or treatment of potential mosquito breeding and conjunctivitis, or red eyes. The illness, Zika
areas) and personal protection against mosquito bites with use or virus disease (sometimes called Zika fever) is
repellants and other measures. usually mild and can last three to 12 days. No vac-
cine or treatment currently exists.
Patrick S. Ramsey, MD, MSPH is Professor and Ma-
ternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist in the Department of What is the risk to pregnant women?
Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Texas Health Women infected with the Zika virus during
Sciences Center at San Antonio where he serves as the
Medical Director for Maternal Transport and Outreach pregnancy have been linked to birth defects and
and Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Training Pro- poor birth outcomes, especially microcephaly (an
gram. He practices at UT Medicine, the faculty practice of the School of unusually small head size and incomplete brain
Medicine at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio. He cares for development), fetal death and Guillain-Barre
women with complicated high risk pregnancies and delivers at Univer- syndrome.
sity Hospital, the Health Science Center’s clinical partner.
Travelers to affected areas should avoid mos-
Updates on Zika Virus can be quito bites by staying indoors as much as possi-
found on the CDC website ble, using a DEET-containing repellant (safe for
use in pregnancy), and covering exposed skin.
(www.cdc.gov/zika) Protective measures should be used throughout
the day, at dusk and dawn.
What countries are affected?
SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Suri-
name, Venezuela; NORTH AMERICA: Mexico;
CENTRAL AMERICA: El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Panama;
CARIBBEAN: Barbados, Guadeloupe, Haiti,
Martinique, Saint Martin; OTHER Puerto Rico,
Samoa, Cape Verde.
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