Zika virus spreads through Americas, Columbus docs warn
The mosquito-borne Zika virus is “spreading explosively” across the Americas according to the World Health Organization, prompting Columbus health officials to issue a word of caution to those who are traveling to areas where the virus is spreading, particularly pregnant women.
Pregnant women are strongly encouraged not to visit affected areas, and to alter vacation plans.
The epicenter of the disease is Brazil, though it has spread to surrounding countries and as far north as Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are 31 confirmed cases in the United States, all of which are travel-related.
“The best treatment is avoidance at this point,” Dr. Christina Liscynesky, an infectious disease expert at the Wexner Medical Center, told the Columbus Dispatch. Liscynesky said there is currently no medication to treat the disease and no vaccine to prevent it.
The illness is usually mild, and can include fever symptoms, joint pain, and rashes, but it is also linked to birth defects, leading to heightened concern for pregnant women.
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