Texas gets ready for further local transmission of Zika virus

The state now suggests that all pregnant females in 6 South Texas counties — presently in their first and second trimester — should be tested for the Zika virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is expanding their instruction for Zika Virus prevention for the 2017 mosquito season, as they prepare for further local transmission of the Zika virus, meaning individuals who’ve not recently traveled getting bitten by a mosquito and then infected. Most Texas cases, although, are travel-related.

Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties are involved in the new guidance. In addition to females in their first or second trimester, any pregnant female who has a rash and at least one other Zika symptom — fever, joint pain, or eye redness — should be tested as well.

For pregnant females in Texas not in the 6 listed counties, they should be tested if they have traveled to places with ongoing Zika transmission, involving any part of Mexico.

DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt cautioned that Zika sustains to be a significant health risk to pregnant females and their babies in Texas. “It is just a matter of time until we see further local transmission here again,” he stated.

The aim in expanding their testing recommendation is to increase their capability to find and respond to possible cases. “The Lower Rio Grande Valley remains the part of the state most at risk for ZIka transmission,” Hellerstedt continued.

Health care providers can order testing via their normal channels. “We do not need cost to stop anyone from getting tested,” Hellerstedt claimed. “If the cost of testing would be a hurdle for a patient, providers should contact their local or regional health department for information about testing through the public health system.”

Texas had 6 cases of local mosquito transmission in Brownsville in November and December 2016. The region appears to be the hardest hit in Texas, the DSHS says, due to its history of local transmission of dengue — a closely related virus — and its proximity to Mexico. For extra information on the virus visit TexasZika.org.

 

Florida health center sustains to be watchful in fight against Zika Virus

It is been almost 9 months since Florida became the 1st USA state to confirm regional mosquito transmission of the Zika virus. In the public health battle that ensued, Miami-Dade County became ground zero in the fight against the mosquito-borne sickness. Florida health center sustains to be watchful in fight against Zika Virus.

In the time period of late 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eradicated the “red area” designation for the county, meaning it is no longer a geographic place where local, state and CDC authorities have evaluates that the intensity of Zika transmission reflects a significant risk to pregnant ladies. Zika infection during pregnancy has the possibility to cause critical fetal birth defects. Florida health center sustains to be watchful in fight against Zika Virus.

Although, in accordance to Diego Shmuels, MD, director of quality and clinical practice management at Borinquen Health Care Center of Miami-Dade County, it would be an error to become complacent about the Zika risk now that the county has been downgraded to a cautionary “yellow area” and consider that the worst is behind South Florida.

“We’ve a huge influx of sufferers that travel to and from the Caribbean and Latin America, and clearly with the warm weather there, they are always exposed to the virus,” claims Shmuels, who points out that Borinquen Health Care Center continually screens for Zika regardless of when mosquito season starts and ends.

A federally qualified health center with ten clinical sites, Borinquen has been using electronic health record vendor athenahealth’s network to assist combat Zika by recognizing sufferers who might be at threat for infection by taking the CDC instructions and running EHR queries.

In addition to mosquito bite transmission, the virus can be sexually transmitted to partners. As an outcome, where sufferers live, their travel history and the travel background of their sexual partners can impact their chances of getting Zika.

“I consider that most of our cases are typically imported,” analyzes Shmuels. “Presently, there are no regional cases.”

He asserts that it is significant for clinicians to inquire sufferers if they have themselves travelled to areas with active local Zika transmission or if they have had sex with partners who’ve travelled to those areas, and to document those facts in the electronic health record.

“When Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood became the hot zone for Zika revious year, athenahealth permitted us to execute a call campaign to all our sufferers that were at risk living in particular ZIP codes,” he adds, which was deployed on an athenahealth network query that looked for ladies of reproductive age that could be sexually active or are pregnant, as well as males of the same age group that could be sexually active with those women.

“If we’ve another outbreak of regional cases in Zika-infected areas, we would do the similar again—activate athenahealth to expedite the procedure,” Shmuels summarizes. “We will have to wait and see what happens once the hot weather returns.”

Nevertheless, he contends that the EHR is a “platform that supports decision making—but, at the end of the day, the clinician is the one that evaluates how to properly utilize diagnostic testing.” Florida health center sustains to be watchful in fight against Zika Virus.

 

 

Microcephaly case links Directly to deadly Zika Virus

The Health Secretariat has confirmed about the very first microcephaly case in a newborn infant in Mexico, one that is linked straightly to the deadly Zika virus.

The premature baby passed away during childbirth in the month of November in the state of Oaxaca.

The National Institute of Perinatology in the city of Mexico confirmed that the microcephaly case diagnosis, and discovered traces of the Zika virus in the amniotic fluid, along with congenital deformities.

The Health Secretariat claimed in a press release that between the time period of November 2015 and January 2017 it confirmed 7,634 cases of Zika infections, 4,252 of which were pregnant females. Of those, 588 have given birth.

The health agency cautioned that it was possible there would be more cases.

The secretariat repeated its suggestions to ignore contracting the Zika virus by using long-sleeved shirts and pants and mosquito repellent; turning pails and bottles upside down, and accurately discarding those no longer in use; keeping water containers clean and covered; and keeping doors and windows closed or secured with mosquito nets.

Pregnant females should certainly attend their prenatal appointments and, along with the general public, seek medical consultation in case of suffering any of the symptoms.

The deadly Zika virus is like a mild form of dengue fever transmitted by the same mosquito, and is normally treated by rest. It can’t be stopped by drugs or vaccines.

Official figures demonstrated that last July there were 667 cases of Zika infections, and that 287 of them were pregnant females.

 

WHO announces end of Zika Virus public health emergency

The Zika virus is no longer termed as a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed on the day of November 18.
The Zika virus was rather reclassified as a "long-term epidemic," in contrast to other mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever and malaria. WHO emphasized that the disease yet remains a public challenge and needs a long-term focus to deal its impacts: birth defects, neurological complications and others.
The virus, which has been discovered in sixty different countries, will continue to spread in locales with mosquitoes that carry the virus, officials stated.
"Several aspects of this disease and associated consequences yet remain to be understood, but this can best be done through sustained research," WHO stated in a statement. "The emergency committee suggested this should be escalated into a sustained program of work with dedicated resources to deal the long-term nature of the disease and its associated consequences."
WHO announced the virus a global emergency in the month of February, compelling countries to report any outbreaks. In a press call Friday, David Heymann, MD chair of the Zika Emergency Committee stated that the emergency status was designed to contain Zika's spread and to encourage research funding.

Blood Donations prove Zika Virus to be Still Rare So Far in U.S.

By the end of this week, entire blood banks in the continental USA must start testing donated blood for contamination with the Zika infection. Several banks are doing so already, and the early outcomes demonstrate that the country has dodged a bullet — for now. Screenings in a dozen states recommends that infections of Zika virus remain exceedingly rare. Among the nearly 800,000 blood donations tested in the past 6 months or so, about forty were previously positive for the virus.

“It is great news that we are ignoring the transmission of Zika,” stated Dr. Susan Rossmann, the chief medical officer at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center in Houston.

Still, she pointed out, it might not be surprising there are so few potential positive cases, because blood banks have been dissuading individuals from donating if they recently traveled to a place in which the virus is circulating.

Blood donations screening for Zika infection is performed with tests made by Roche Molecular Systems or by collaboration between 2 medical companies, Hologic Inc. and Grifols.

The screening attempt is regulated as 2 gigantic clinical trials in which every blood donor is enrolled as a participant. All the outcomes, hence, are reported to the companies.

By the day of Friday, Roche’s machines had screened 475,000 donations in the US, excluding Puerto Rico. Merely 25 have been “initially reactive” for Zika virus, claimed Tony Hardiman, who leads the blood screening program of the company.

“Compared to Puerto Rico, it is tiny,” he stated.

Almost, 1% of the blood donors in Puerto Rico were infected by the month of July, with 1.8% of them testing initially positive in the previous week of surveillance, in accordance to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By the month of mid-October, approximately 348,000 donations had been screened utilizing the test made by Hologic Inc. and Grifols. 14 were initially positive for the Zika virus.

It might be that not all of these samples are really contaminated. The technology is still in development, and the manufacturers are scrambling to confirm their results with further examinations of the donors.

Viral material traced after forty days is unlikely to be live virus, stated Dr. David O. Freedman, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Florida is the mere state with documented regional transmission of the virus. In the month of July, the F.D.A. temporarily halted collection of blood donations in the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties until screening for the Zika infection could be put in place.

Blood banks had been inquiring donors about their travel history and that of their sexual partners, and then inquiring them to postpone donating for almost a month.

The Community Blood Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania and Western New York, based in Erie, Pa., has been drawing additional tubes of blood from donors to fly overnight to a place of Houston laboratory for Zika infection screening at $6 to $10 a sample.

CDC track pregnant ladies by Registries infected with Zika virus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working hard with local, state and territorial public health departments on surveillance of pregnant ladies that have laboratory proof of potential Zika virus infection. The CDC has established the U.S. Zika Pregnancy Registry and the Zika Active Pregnancy Surveillance System in Puerto Rico to give detailed monitoring of pregnant ladies and infant outcomes. These registries will help CDC track pregnant ladies infected with Zika virus.

The registries are assisting the CDC track pregnant ladies infected with Zika Virus and to better understand the range of adverse results that appear in infants and when in pregnancy those dangers are highest for microcephaly and other extreme birth defects caused by the Zika virus.

In accordance to Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC’s Birth Defects Branch and co-lead of its Pregnancy and Birth Defects Task Force, the information collected through the registries will be utilized to update suggestions for clinical care, plan for services and support for pregnant ladies and families infected by Zika, as well as make better prevention of infection during the time of pregnancy.

Honein, an epidemiologist, notices that the Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant lady to her fetus, which can cause destructive birth defects.

As of the day October 13, Honein claims that there are 899 pregnant ladies with laboratory proof of possible Zika virus infection in the USA and District of Columbia, and 1,927 in the U.S. territories. In the U.S. and D.C., 23 live-born infants with birth defects and 5 pregnancy losses with birth defects have been reported—the figures are based on data provided to the pregnancy surveillance systems.

“How this is handled at the state and regional level varies a lot from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but electronic health records EHRs) are being used at many sites,” in accordance to Honein.

When it comes to detecting pregnant ladies infected by Zika, the CDC in the months of August and September made awards to state, regional and territorial health departments for what Honein calls “rapid birth defects surveillance” as well as to “work on the pregnancy registries.”

Previously this month, Congress assigned $1.1 billion in supplemental funding to battle against Zika. Of that, $394 million will go to the CDC.

Zika is significantly spread by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. Although, the Zika virus also can be transmitted through sex.

“It is significant to follow CDC instruction and screen all pregnant ladies for possible Zika virus exposure,” Honein summarizes. “At every prenatal visit, healthcare providers should be inquiring pregnant ladies about travel to places with active Zika virus infection or any sexual partners who might have travelled to a region with active Zika virus transmission—and then for those who’ve exposure, testing.” So, these registries will help CDC track pregnant ladies infected with Zika virus.

 

CDC Supports Zika surveillance systems in Forty states, territories

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has granted more than $16 million to support Zika surveillance systems for forty states and territories to develop, enhance, and maintain data-gathering systems to enable real-time, population-deployed monitoring for microcephaly and other birth abnormalities caused by the Zika virus.

Till now, more than 1,600 Zika-related cases have been reported in the fifty states and the Columbia District, while more than 4,700 cases have been cured and treated in the United States. territories.

Stressed over a nationwide out­break and a potential epidemic, the CDC investment is meant to make sure that the system infrastructure is in place to give public health zika surveillance systems' abilities in those states and territories that are most vulnerable to Zika infection.

In accordance to CDC officials, it is serious for these states and territories to be capable to rapidly track microcephaly—a crucial neurological birth defect featured by a smaller than normal head—and other adverse results caused by the mosquito-borne sicknesses.

“Zika virus Infection during the time period of pregnancy poses a crucial threat to the fetus and can cause microcephaly, and due to that, it is very urgent that we check quickly and completely birth defects that may be regarded to Zika,” claims Margaret Honein, chief of the CDC’s Birth Defects Branch and co-lead on the Pregnancy and Birth Defects Task Force in the agency’s Zika response.

“CDC has granted funds to states that are at high threat of having the Zika virus diseases, either travel-related or—in some cases—the potential of regional transmission,” adds Honein. “We’re working closely with state health departments to arrange a system for quickly ascertaining the critical birth defects, checking them over time, and making sure that infants and their families are referred to suitable services and facilities.”

Honein, an epidemiologist, explains the step as a birth defects surveillance system. Although, unlike other networks that are “meticulous” in their deployment, she claims the Zika outbreak needs an expedited execution around the country, putting a priority on detecting the health and developmental results of children affected by Zika Virus infections.

“We need to do all of that quality control, but this will be done much more rapidly,” states Honein.

Investing amounts for the forty states and territories gaining the assistance range from $200,000 to $720,000, and were deployed on their threat of Zika virus infection transmission as well as their present birth defects Zika surveillance system abilities.

In accordance to Honein, few states and territories are more advanced and will just need modest infrastructure betterments, while others will require Zika surveillance systems constructed from the ground up. Nevertheless, she notices that these awards are meant to facilitate as a stopgap diverted from other public health resources until Zika funds are given by Congress.

Late previous month, the American Medical Association—the nation’s greatest physician agency—called on the Obama administration and Congress to take quick action to support a public health response to the Zika virus infection.

“Congress and the Administration must act as soon as possible to make sure that our country is capable to deploy the type of public health response essential to keep our people safe and healthy,” stated AMA President Andrew Gurman, MD.

Honein summarizes: “We have not yet got any appropriations for Zika Virus infection, but CDC is doing the best it can with present funding to meet the most urgent requirements.”