For approximately two hours after the sun rises and several hours before it sets, the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are out lurking, looking for blood to feed on or a pool of stagnant water to reproduce in. The Aedes mosquitoes are the infamous vectors of three nasty viral infections: dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever. These viral infections can elicit serious flu-like symptoms, including severe joint pain. Those who have suppressed immune systems are most vulnerable, especially those who are traveling to areas where exposure to the virus is heightened.
Now the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are issuing a travel alert for the Zika virus, which is also transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes. The Zika virus may cause mild illness, including fever, rash and joint pain. The Zika virus may also affect a woman’s pregnancy and cause a miscarriage. British health authorities provided Dr. Lyle Peterson, director of the CDC’s division of vector-borne diseases, with two tissue samples from pregnancies that ended in miscarriage. They confirmed through genetic analysis that Zika virus was present in both samples. FULL REPORT
