Florida health officials on Tuesday said that they were investigating three new Zika virus cases. 
 
They were likely stemming from local mosquito bites in Miami-Dade county. Only one of these cases was linked to Miami beach. 
 
The total number of non-travel- related cases in the state now stands at 46, the Florida Department of Health data states. 
 
&quot;One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place,&quot; the department said. 
 
It believes ongoing transmission is only taking place in parts of Miami Beach and the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, the site of the first local Zika transmission in the United States. 
 
Health department workers have been going door-to-door in Pinellas, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties to create awareness among residents about the virus and offer voluntary tests. 
 
The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil last year and has now spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women and can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The total number of non-travel- related cases in the state has now reached 46

Florida health officials on Tuesday said that they were investigating three new Zika virus cases. They were likely stemming from local mosquito bites in Miami-Dade county. Only one of these cases was linked to Miami beach. The total number of non-travel- related cases in the state now stands at 46, the Florida Department of Health data states. "One case does not mean ongoing active transmission is taking place," the department said. It believes ongoing transmission is only taking place in parts of Miami Beach and the Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, the site of the first local Zika transmission in the United States. Health department workers have been going door-to-door in Pinellas, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties to create awareness among residents about the virus and offer voluntary tests. The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil last year and has now spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women and can cause severe birth defects, including microcephaly. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Health officials investigate 3 new Zika cases in Florida

Singapore has reported 26 new cases of the Zika virus increasing the overall count of the mosquito-borne disease to 82, the country&#39;s Ministry of health and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.&nbsp; 
 
The country reported its first case of locally-transmitted Zika over the weekend, and the number of confirmed infections has risen steadily since then. At least three dozen patients have made a full recovery. Some of the new cases have been detected beyond Singapore&#39;s south-east Aljunied area where the initial outbreak took place. Many of the initial cases were foreign workers on a construction project. 
 
The Singapore government has not said where the infected foreign workers are from. The foreign ministry directed queries to the health ministry, which did not respond to Reuters questions on the issue.&nbsp; 
 
The city-state has stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the mosquito-borne disease. Teams of NEA inspectors have been visiting homes to check for mosquito breeding sites, and imposed fines to Sg$5,000 ($3,700) where these have been found. Pest controllers have saturated affected estates with insecticide. The NEA said it had inspected 5,000 out of 6,000 homes in the affected cluster by Monday and destroyed 39 breeding sites. 
 
Several countries have advised pregnant women or those trying to conceive to avoid travelling to the city-state. Australia, Taiwan and South Korea issued travel warnings, and Singapore advised pregnant women to take a free Zika test if they showed any symptoms or if their partners tested positive. &quot;This is regardless of whether they have been to Zika-affected areas,&quot; the statement said. 
 
Neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have said they will monitor visitor arrivals from Singapore, while Taiwan and Australia have issued travel advisories warning against travel to the city-state. 
 
Singapore&#39;s Tourism Board, meanwhile, says it is premature to consider any impact on the sector, adding it remained a &quot;safe travel destination&quot;. 
 
Despite being one of Southeast Asia&#39;s cleanest cities and having the highest health-care centres in the world, the tropical island has a chronic problem with dengue fever. &nbsp;Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water that collects in construction sites, open space and homes.&nbsp; 
 
The country&#39;s first reported case of Zika in May involved a man who had visited Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year. 
 
Zika, which has been detected in 58 countries, causes only mild symptoms such as fever and rash for most people but has been linked to a rare form of birth defect, microcephaly, in Brazil.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Some of the new cases have been detected beyond the area of the initial outbreak in the south-east Aljunied area.

Singapore has reported 26 new cases of the Zika virus increasing the overall count of the mosquito-borne disease to 82, the country's Ministry of health and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said. The country reported its first case of locally-transmitted Zika over the weekend, and the number of confirmed infections has risen steadily since then. At least three dozen patients have made a full recovery. Some of the new cases have been detected beyond Singapore's south-east Aljunied area where the initial outbreak took place. Many of the initial cases were foreign workers on a construction project. The Singapore government has not said where the infected foreign workers are from. The foreign ministry directed queries to the health ministry, which did not respond to Reuters questions on the issue. The city-state has stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the mosquito-borne disease. Teams of NEA inspectors have been visiting homes to check for mosquito breeding sites, and imposed fines to Sg$5,000 ($3,700) where these have been found. Pest controllers have saturated affected estates with insecticide. The NEA said it had inspected 5,000 out of 6,000 homes in the affected cluster by Monday and destroyed 39 breeding sites. Several countries have advised pregnant women or those trying to conceive to avoid travelling to the city-state. Australia, Taiwan and South Korea issued travel warnings, and Singapore advised pregnant women to take a free Zika test if they showed any symptoms or if their partners tested positive. "This is regardless of whether they have been to Zika-affected areas," the statement said. Neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines have said they will monitor visitor arrivals from Singapore, while Taiwan and Australia have issued travel advisories warning against travel to the city-state. Singapore's Tourism Board, meanwhile, says it is premature to consider any impact on the sector, adding it remained a "safe travel destination". Despite being one of Southeast Asia's cleanest cities and having the highest health-care centres in the world, the tropical island has a chronic problem with dengue fever. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water that collects in construction sites, open space and homes. The country's first reported case of Zika in May involved a man who had visited Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year. Zika, which has been detected in 58 countries, causes only mild symptoms such as fever and rash for most people but has been linked to a rare form of birth defect, microcephaly, in Brazil. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Singapore confirms 26 new cases of Zika virus

Soon after Singapore reported its first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus on Sunday, the government announced 40&nbsp;more cases of the locally-transmitted infection, most of them foreign workers at a construction site. A joint statement by the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency stated that 34 people had fully recovered while the other seven, who were still symptomatic and potentially infectious, remain in hospital. 
 
Thirty-six of those infected are foreign labourers working at a construction site in the area, according to the statement. The first case was that of a 47-year-old Malaysian woman residing in the city-state. The government has also clarified that at this point the community transmission appeared to be localised within the district. 
 
&quot;All 41 are residents or workers in a suburban district. They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently&nbsp;and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore. This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place.&quot; 
 
The health ministry earlier said it expected more cases of the mosquito-borne virus which has been linked to a rare birth defect, microcephaly, in Brazil. 
 
Singapore&#39;s National Environment Agency (NEA) said it has deployed 100 officials in the area and carried out a series of vector control operations like ultra-low volume misting of premises, thermal fogging of outdoor areas to kill adult mosquitoes, increasing frequency of drain flushing and oiling to prevent breeding, and public education outreach and distribution of insect repellent. 
 
&quot;NEA may need to gain entry into inaccessible premises by force after serving of requisite notices, to ensure any breeding habitats are destroyed quickly,&quot; the environment agency said in its statement. 
 
The health ministry suspects that there is a risk of subsequent local transmission and that it expected that there would be more cases in future since &quot;most infected persons may display mild or no symptoms&quot;. 
 
Those infected display symptoms of mild fever, rash and red eyes while an estimated 80 percent of people infected have had no symptoms. 
 
A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. 
 
A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread. 
 
The virus, which was originally confined to a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia, has spread across the Pacific Ocean &nbsp;to more than 50 countries including the United States, Mexico and Brazil, in the last one year. 
 
A public health emergency was declared in the US on August 12 after more than 10,000 laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. 
 
Miami Beach, a popular tourist destination, is the latest to be infected and Florida health authorities have warned pregnant women not to travel there. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. 
 
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil which is widely considered to be responsible for the outbreak of the virus and which has now confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the mothers. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The health ministry said it expected more cases of the mosquito-borne virus to emerge in the city-state

Soon after Singapore reported its first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus on Sunday, the government announced 40 more cases of the locally-transmitted infection, most of them foreign workers at a construction site. A joint statement by the Ministry of Health and the National Environment Agency stated that 34 people had fully recovered while the other seven, who were still symptomatic and potentially infectious, remain in hospital. Thirty-six of those infected are foreign labourers working at a construction site in the area, according to the statement. The first case was that of a 47-year-old Malaysian woman residing in the city-state. The government has also clarified that at this point the community transmission appeared to be localised within the district. "All 41 are residents or workers in a suburban district. They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore. This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place." The health ministry earlier said it expected more cases of the mosquito-borne virus which has been linked to a rare birth defect, microcephaly, in Brazil. Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) said it has deployed 100 officials in the area and carried out a series of vector control operations like ultra-low volume misting of premises, thermal fogging of outdoor areas to kill adult mosquitoes, increasing frequency of drain flushing and oiling to prevent breeding, and public education outreach and distribution of insect repellent. "NEA may need to gain entry into inaccessible premises by force after serving of requisite notices, to ensure any breeding habitats are destroyed quickly," the environment agency said in its statement. The health ministry suspects that there is a risk of subsequent local transmission and that it expected that there would be more cases in future since "most infected persons may display mild or no symptoms". Those infected display symptoms of mild fever, rash and red eyes while an estimated 80 percent of people infected have had no symptoms. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. A case of suspected transmission through a blood transfusion in Brazil has raised questions about other ways that Zika may spread. The virus, which was originally confined to a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia, has spread across the Pacific Ocean to more than 50 countries including the United States, Mexico and Brazil, in the last one year. A public health emergency was declared in the US on August 12 after more than 10,000 laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. Miami Beach, a popular tourist destination, is the latest to be infected and Florida health authorities have warned pregnant women not to travel there. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil which is widely considered to be responsible for the outbreak of the virus and which has now confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the mothers. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Singapore confirms at least 41 cases of Zika virus

All blood donated in the United States and its territories should be tested for Zika virus, the US Food and Drug Administration recommended yesterday. 
 
&quot;There is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission,&quot; said Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration&#39;s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. &quot;At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion.&quot; 
 
A previous FDA guideline issued in February that recommended active screening of donated blood only in &quot;areas with active Zika virus transmission.&quot; 
 
The agency&#39;s decision to expand blood screening in the United States was based on concerns about more cases of local transmission in Florida, the growing number of travel-related infections and concerns that Zika-tainted blood could unwittingly be given to a pregnant woman, putting her unborn baby at risk of severe birth defects. 
 
&quot;Over 8,000 travel associated and over 2,000 non-travel associated cases of Zika have been reported in the United States and US territories,&quot; Marks told reporters. 
 
More than 2,500 people in the United States have been diagnosed with Zika, along with more than 9,000 in the US territories such as Puerto Rico, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of those cases were brought in by people who were infected while traveling abroad.&nbsp; 
 
There are 584 pregnant women in the mainland United States with lab evidence of Zika infection, and 812 in the US territories. 
 
Last month, Florida announced its first cases of locally transmitted Zika, with 42 infections. 
 
&quot;Testing of donated blood is already underway in Florida and Puerto Rico, as well as in other areas, and it has shown to be beneficial in identifying donations infected with Zika virus,&quot; said the FDA statement. 
 
&quot;About 1 percent of donations in Puerto Rico have tested positive for Zika virus,&quot; Marks said. 
 
The expanded testing of the US blood supply &quot;will be in effect until the risk of transfusion transmission of Zika virus is reduced,&quot; said the FDA. 
 
FDA to roll out testing in stages 
 
FDA&#39;s recommendations will roll out in stages. The recommendations will go into effect immediately in states and territoties with local, mosquito-borne transmission, affecting Florida and Puerto Rico. 
 
In 11 states near areas with local transmission or high rates of travel-related infections, the guidelines must be implemented within four weeks. These states include Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Texas. 
 
For the rest of country, the guidelines must be implemented within 12 weeks. 
 
Marks said Hologic Inc and Roche Molecular Systems had been granted special approval for their tests to be used to screen the blood supply. 
 
America&rsquo;s Blood Centers is currently testing for Zika primarily in Florida, where local transmission has been reported. It has a network of 63 blood centres with 600 donation sites in 45 US states. It also has centers testing in areas of Texas that are considered at high risk for the spread of the virus, and an affiliate in Arizona testing high-risk donors. 
 
Dr. Louis Katz, chief medical officer for America&rsquo;s Blood Centers, said it would take a &ldquo;titanic&rdquo; effort to implement testing in the first-tier states expected to be online in four weeks, but stressed the organisation&rsquo;s commitment to a safe blood supply. 
 
&ldquo;Testing labs and the test vendors are working feverishly to allow testing to start on time in the areas subject to the 12-week timeline,&rdquo; he said in an email. &ldquo;My conversations with the vendors suggest that if all goes smoothly that goal is feasible. Then, whether things go smoothly in an incredibly complex set of processes becomes critical.&rdquo; 
 
Sexual spread 
 
Zika is primarily spread by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it can also be transmitted sexually. 
 
On Friday, US authorities announced the case of a man who passed on the virus to his female partner through unprotected sex. The man was unaware of his infection as he showed no symptoms. 
 
Four out of five people who get Zika do not show any of the common symptoms, which may include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. 
 
&quot;As new scientific and epidemiological information regarding Zika virus has become available, it&#39;s clear that additional precautionary measures are necessary,&quot; said Luciana Borio, the FDA&#39;s acting chief scientist.&nbsp; 
 
The World Health Organization says 53 countries around the world have reported Zika outbreaks since 2015. 
 
Two US lawmakers, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas, had recently urged the FDA to expand testing for Zika to blood banks nationwide, saying it would cost less than $10 per donor. 
 
On Friday, DeLauro applauded to decision, calling it &quot;a strong step forward in protecting our nation&#39;s blood supply and the American people.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

The decision was based on concerns about more cases of local transmission in Florida and the growing number of travel-related infections

All blood donated in the United States and its territories should be tested for Zika virus, the US Food and Drug Administration recommended yesterday. "There is still much uncertainty regarding the nature and extent of Zika virus transmission," said Peter Marks, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "At this time, the recommendation for testing the entire blood supply will help ensure that safe blood is available for all individuals who might need transfusion." A previous FDA guideline issued in February that recommended active screening of donated blood only in "areas with active Zika virus transmission." The agency's decision to expand blood screening in the United States was based on concerns about more cases of local transmission in Florida, the growing number of travel-related infections and concerns that Zika-tainted blood could unwittingly be given to a pregnant woman, putting her unborn baby at risk of severe birth defects. "Over 8,000 travel associated and over 2,000 non-travel associated cases of Zika have been reported in the United States and US territories," Marks told reporters. More than 2,500 people in the United States have been diagnosed with Zika, along with more than 9,000 in the US territories such as Puerto Rico, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most of those cases were brought in by people who were infected while traveling abroad. There are 584 pregnant women in the mainland United States with lab evidence of Zika infection, and 812 in the US territories. Last month, Florida announced its first cases of locally transmitted Zika, with 42 infections. "Testing of donated blood is already underway in Florida and Puerto Rico, as well as in other areas, and it has shown to be beneficial in identifying donations infected with Zika virus," said the FDA statement. "About 1 percent of donations in Puerto Rico have tested positive for Zika virus," Marks said. The expanded testing of the US blood supply "will be in effect until the risk of transfusion transmission of Zika virus is reduced," said the FDA. FDA to roll out testing in stages FDA's recommendations will roll out in stages. The recommendations will go into effect immediately in states and territoties with local, mosquito-borne transmission, affecting Florida and Puerto Rico. In 11 states near areas with local transmission or high rates of travel-related infections, the guidelines must be implemented within four weeks. These states include Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Texas. For the rest of country, the guidelines must be implemented within 12 weeks. Marks said Hologic Inc and Roche Molecular Systems had been granted special approval for their tests to be used to screen the blood supply. America’s Blood Centers is currently testing for Zika primarily in Florida, where local transmission has been reported. It has a network of 63 blood centres with 600 donation sites in 45 US states. It also has centers testing in areas of Texas that are considered at high risk for the spread of the virus, and an affiliate in Arizona testing high-risk donors. Dr. Louis Katz, chief medical officer for America’s Blood Centers, said it would take a “titanic” effort to implement testing in the first-tier states expected to be online in four weeks, but stressed the organisation’s commitment to a safe blood supply. “Testing labs and the test vendors are working feverishly to allow testing to start on time in the areas subject to the 12-week timeline,” he said in an email. “My conversations with the vendors suggest that if all goes smoothly that goal is feasible. Then, whether things go smoothly in an incredibly complex set of processes becomes critical.” Sexual spread Zika is primarily spread by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it can also be transmitted sexually. On Friday, US authorities announced the case of a man who passed on the virus to his female partner through unprotected sex. The man was unaware of his infection as he showed no symptoms. Four out of five people who get Zika do not show any of the common symptoms, which may include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. "As new scientific and epidemiological information regarding Zika virus has become available, it's clear that additional precautionary measures are necessary," said Luciana Borio, the FDA's acting chief scientist. The World Health Organization says 53 countries around the world have reported Zika outbreaks since 2015. Two US lawmakers, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas, had recently urged the FDA to expand testing for Zika to blood banks nationwide, saying it would cost less than $10 per donor. On Friday, DeLauro applauded to decision, calling it "a strong step forward in protecting our nation's blood supply and the American people." (WION with inputs from agencies)

Zika testing for all blood donated in US: FDA

A report released yesterday shows in graphic detail the kind of damage Zika infections can do to the developing brain - damage that goes well beyond the devastating birth defect known as microcephaly, in which the baby&#39;s head is smaller than normal. 
 
The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where the virus has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, which can cause severe developmental problems. 
 
Prior research has shown the Zika virus attacks neural progenitor cells - a type of stem cell that develops into different types of nerve or brain cells. 
 
The latest research, published in the journal Radiology, draws from imaging and autopsy findings linked with confirmed Zika infections done on 17 infants and fetuses cared for at the Instituto de Pesquisa, in Campina Grande in the state of Paraiba in northeastern Brazil, where the infection has been especially severe. 
 
The study also included reports on 28 fetuses or newborns with brain anomalies whose mothers were suspected of having Zika during pregnancy. 
 
Nearly all babies in each group had ventriculomegaly, a condition in which the ventricles, or fluid-filled spaces in the brain, are enlarged. 
 
While most of the fetuses had at least one exam showing abnormally small head circumference, suggesting they had microcephaly, three of the fetuses with ventriculomegaly had normal head circumference, but severe ventriculomegaly. 
 
Nearly all of the fetuses or babies in the confirmed Zika group and nearly 80 per cent of those in the presumed Zika group also had abnormalities of the corpus callosum - a large bundle of nerves that facilitates communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. 
 
In all but one of the cases studied, the researchers found instances in which developing neurons did not travel to their proper destination in the brain. 
 
In many cases, the babies&#39; skulls seemed to have collapsed on themselves, with overlapping tissues and abnormal skin folds suggestive of a brain that had stopped growing. 
 
&quot;From an imaging standpoint, the abnormalities in the brain are very severe when compared to other congenital infections,&rdquo; said study co-author Dr. Deborah Levine of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a radiology professor at Harvard Medical School. 
 
As with other reports, the paper suggests that Zika does the most harm in the first trimester of pregnancy. The researchers plan to keep following the cases to see what impact prenatal Zika infections have on future brain development. 
 
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 per cent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. 
 
Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. 
 
(Reuters)

Nearly all babies in each group had ventriculomegaly, a condition in which the fluid-filled spaces in the brain, are enlarged

A report released yesterday shows in graphic detail the kind of damage Zika infections can do to the developing brain - damage that goes well beyond the devastating birth defect known as microcephaly, in which the baby's head is smaller than normal. The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where the virus has been linked to more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly, which can cause severe developmental problems. Prior research has shown the Zika virus attacks neural progenitor cells - a type of stem cell that develops into different types of nerve or brain cells. The latest research, published in the journal Radiology, draws from imaging and autopsy findings linked with confirmed Zika infections done on 17 infants and fetuses cared for at the Instituto de Pesquisa, in Campina Grande in the state of Paraiba in northeastern Brazil, where the infection has been especially severe. The study also included reports on 28 fetuses or newborns with brain anomalies whose mothers were suspected of having Zika during pregnancy. Nearly all babies in each group had ventriculomegaly, a condition in which the ventricles, or fluid-filled spaces in the brain, are enlarged. While most of the fetuses had at least one exam showing abnormally small head circumference, suggesting they had microcephaly, three of the fetuses with ventriculomegaly had normal head circumference, but severe ventriculomegaly. Nearly all of the fetuses or babies in the confirmed Zika group and nearly 80 per cent of those in the presumed Zika group also had abnormalities of the corpus callosum - a large bundle of nerves that facilitates communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. In all but one of the cases studied, the researchers found instances in which developing neurons did not travel to their proper destination in the brain. In many cases, the babies' skulls seemed to have collapsed on themselves, with overlapping tissues and abnormal skin folds suggestive of a brain that had stopped growing. "From an imaging standpoint, the abnormalities in the brain are very severe when compared to other congenital infections,” said study co-author Dr. Deborah Levine of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a radiology professor at Harvard Medical School. As with other reports, the paper suggests that Zika does the most harm in the first trimester of pregnancy. The researchers plan to keep following the cases to see what impact prenatal Zika infections have on future brain development. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 per cent of people infected have no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected. Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. A small number of cases of sexual transmission have been reported in the United States and elsewhere. (Reuters)

Study shows extent of brain damage from Zika infections

Indian athlete Sudha Singh returned from Rio de Janeiro with fever, fatigue, rapidly changing blood pressure and body ache on Saturday. 
 
The athlete, who performed in the steeplechase competition, was admitted in a&nbsp;hospital in India&#39;s southern city of Bangalore after she complained of fatigue and joint pain, according to a report by NDTV. The thirty-year-old has been kept in isolation, while her blood samples have been sent for Zika virus testing to virology institute. 
 
Since the athlete was in Brazil for the tournament, where the virus has been a major concern, the doctors want to be extra cautious about it, even if they hope it is only a regular viral infection. 
 
Along with Sudha, her roommates at Rio, OP Jaisha, and Kavita Raut&nbsp;are also reportedly down with fever. Although Sudha&#39;s health is improving, Zika scare is of a major concern. 
 
(WION)

Sudha Singh has just returned from Rio where her roommates are also reportedly down with fever

Indian athlete Sudha Singh returned from Rio de Janeiro with fever, fatigue, rapidly changing blood pressure and body ache on Saturday. The athlete, who performed in the steeplechase competition, was admitted in a hospital in India's southern city of Bangalore after she complained of fatigue and joint pain, according to a report by NDTV. The thirty-year-old has been kept in isolation, while her blood samples have been sent for Zika virus testing to virology institute. Since the athlete was in Brazil for the tournament, where the virus has been a major concern, the doctors want to be extra cautious about it, even if they hope it is only a regular viral infection. Along with Sudha, her roommates at Rio, OP Jaisha, and Kavita Raut are also reportedly down with fever. Although Sudha's health is improving, Zika scare is of a major concern. (WION)

Indian athlete with Zika virus symptoms kept in isolation

One of the top US public health officials yesterday warned that the mosquito-borne Zika virus could extend its reach across the US Gulf Coast after officials last week confirmed it as active in the popular tourist destination of Miami Beach. 
 
The possibility of transmission in Gulf States such as Louisiana and Texas will likely fuel concerns that the virus, which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as microcephaly, could spread across the continental United States, even though officials have played down such an outcome. 
 
Concern has mounted since confirmation that Zika has expanded into a second region of the tourist hub of Miami-Dade County in Florida. Miami&#39;s Wynwood arts neighborhood last month became the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. 
 
&quot;It would not be surprising we would see additional cases perhaps in other Gulf Coast states,&quot; Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the allergy and infectious diseases unit of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in an interview yesterday morning with ABC News. 
 
Fauci noted that record flooding this month in Louisiana - which has killed at least 13 people and damaged some 60,000 homes damaged - has boosted the likelihood Zika will spread into that state. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s going to be a lot of problems getting rid of standing water&quot; that could stymie the mosquito control efforts that are the best way to control Zika&#39;s spread, he said. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed 1,835 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. 
 
On Friday, Florida governor Rick Scott confirmed that state health officials had identified five cases of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. 
 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told pregnant women they should avoid the trendy area and suggested those especially worried about exposure might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. 
 
NIH&#39;s Fauci yesterday said the conditions of most of the country make it unlikely there would be a &quot;diffuse, broad outbreak,&quot; even though officials need to prepare for that possibility. 
 
He compared it with diseases such as Dengue, which is endemic in certain tropical and subtropical regions of the world but rarely occurs in the continental United States. In Miami&#39;s Wynwood area, experts have seen &quot;substantial&quot; knockdowns of mosquito populations. 
 
Still, its containment is more complicated because Zika can be sexually transmitted, Fauci said. 
 
&quot;This is something that could hang around for a year or two,&quot; he said. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is a&nbsp;strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. 
 
(Reuters)

Record flooding this month in Louisiana has boosted the likelihood Zika will spread into that state

One of the top US public health officials yesterday warned that the mosquito-borne Zika virus could extend its reach across the US Gulf Coast after officials last week confirmed it as active in the popular tourist destination of Miami Beach. The possibility of transmission in Gulf States such as Louisiana and Texas will likely fuel concerns that the virus, which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as microcephaly, could spread across the continental United States, even though officials have played down such an outcome. Concern has mounted since confirmation that Zika has expanded into a second region of the tourist hub of Miami-Dade County in Florida. Miami's Wynwood arts neighborhood last month became the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. "It would not be surprising we would see additional cases perhaps in other Gulf Coast states," Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the allergy and infectious diseases unit of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in an interview yesterday morning with ABC News. Fauci noted that record flooding this month in Louisiana - which has killed at least 13 people and damaged some 60,000 homes damaged - has boosted the likelihood Zika will spread into that state. "There's going to be a lot of problems getting rid of standing water" that could stymie the mosquito control efforts that are the best way to control Zika's spread, he said. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed 1,835 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. On Friday, Florida governor Rick Scott confirmed that state health officials had identified five cases of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told pregnant women they should avoid the trendy area and suggested those especially worried about exposure might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. NIH's Fauci yesterday said the conditions of most of the country make it unlikely there would be a "diffuse, broad outbreak," even though officials need to prepare for that possibility. He compared it with diseases such as Dengue, which is endemic in certain tropical and subtropical regions of the world but rarely occurs in the continental United States. In Miami's Wynwood area, experts have seen "substantial" knockdowns of mosquito populations. Still, its containment is more complicated because Zika can be sexually transmitted, Fauci said. "This is something that could hang around for a year or two," he said. The World Health Organization has said there is a strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. (Reuters)

Top health official warns Zika could spread across US Gulf

Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to trendy&nbsp;Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active in the popular tourist&nbsp;destination. 
 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that pregnant women who are especially&nbsp;worried about exposure to Zika - which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as&nbsp;microcephaly - might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. 
 
The new warnings represent a challenge to Florida&#39;s multibillion dollar tourism industry, with Miami Beach&nbsp;accounting for nearly half of visitor stays in the city, and heighten concerns over Zika&#39;s spread in the&nbsp;continental United States. 
 
In a press conference, Florida Governor Rick Scott said state health officials had identified five cases&nbsp;of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. 
 
&quot;This means we believe we have a new area where local transmissions are occurring in Miami Beach,&quot; he&nbsp;said, noting that the state had already stepped up pesticide spraying efforts in this area. 
 
The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of&nbsp;Miami, the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. 
 
In Miami Beach, the state believes Zika transmission is confined to a 1.5-square-mile area located between&nbsp;8th and 28th streets in the popular South Beach neighborhood. 
 
Miami Beach resident Steve Ehrlich, 30, said news of the five cases transmitted somewhere in the blocks&nbsp;around his home was not surprising, but that did not make it any less concerning. 
 
&quot;You knew it was going to intermingle all over the place,&quot; he said. 
 
And though Ehrlich said and he and his wife Caroline did not have any immediate plans to have more&nbsp;children, any thought of doing so has been indefinitely shelved. 
 
Current CDC guidelines recommend men wait six months after being infected with Zika before trying to have&nbsp;children to avoid passing the virus to a pregnant partner through semen. The recommendations are based on&nbsp;observations that the virus can live in semen as long as 93 days after an infection, but a recent report&nbsp;in the journal Eurosurveillence described two cases in which the virus lingered in semen six months after&nbsp;a person was infected. 
 
&quot;The CDC is giving recommendations for how long to wait before you get pregnant, but it seems like no one&nbsp;has a clear grasp on just how long it stays in your system,&quot; Ehrlich said. &quot;That&#39;s scary for us because we&nbsp;eventually want to have more kids.&quot; 
 
Travel expert Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said the Zika&nbsp;outbreak in South Florida could jeopardize travel in the area. 
 
&quot;Even if one per cent or two per cent of potential travelers decide not to go to Florida, whether it&rsquo;s for&nbsp;leisure or for business, there could be a multi-million dollar hit to the local economy,&rdquo; he said. 
 
In a conference call with reporters on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said there have been at least&nbsp;four other independent instances of mosquito-borne Zika transmission in Miami-Dade county. These were&nbsp;individual cases and did not represent local transmission. 
 
Frieden said it is difficult to determine if cases are locally acquired and whether cases are related. As&nbsp;a result, there may be a time lag in reporting the spread of disease locally. 
 
Given that, Frieden said there could be transmissions that have not been identified throughout Miami,&nbsp;which is why the CDC has advised pregnant women and their sexual partners who are worried about potential&nbsp;exposure to consider avoiding travel to Miami entirely. 
 
Of the five new cases in Miami Beach, one person is a resident of New York, one person is a resident of&nbsp;Texas and one person is a resident of Taiwan. 
 
&quot;All three of these people traveled to Miami,&quot; Scott said. 
 
Frieden said battling Zika-carrying mosquitoes in this neighborhood will be especially challenging because&nbsp;the area&#39;s high rise buildings will prevent pilots from flying low enough to drop pesticides in aerial&nbsp;spraying campaigns. 
 
&quot;The inability to use aerial spraying there means we&#39;ll be limited to using ground-based techniques like&nbsp;backpack spraying,&quot; he said. 
 
Frieden said aerial spraying continues to be successful in the Wynwood neighborhood, where experts have&nbsp;seen &quot;substantial but not complete knockdowns of mosquito populations. 
 
Scott said Florida has requested more support from the CDC. 
 
LAWMAKERS URGE MORE FUNDING 
 
Reporters pressed Scott on the timeliness of the announcement, which was first reported in the Miami&nbsp;Herald on Thursday and was confirmed by many other news outlets on Thursday, including Reuters. 
 
&quot;We recognize the desire for information quickly, but it is important that we conduct our interviews and investigations pursuant to epidemiological standards,&quot; Scott said. 
 
Reporters charged Scott with underplaying Zika transmission and delaying confirmation to minimize the&nbsp;effect on tourism in the state. 
 
Scott said the state was taking every measure to ensure the information they provided to the public was&nbsp;accurate. 
 
In a press conference later on Friday, however, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine expressed frustration with&nbsp;Scott and the state&#39;s health department for keeping him and other elected officials in the dark about the&nbsp;island-city&#39;s five locally transmitted Zika cases. 
 
Levine said mayors across Miami received the information at the same time as media. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s backwards,&quot; Levine said. 
 
US Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, said the transmission of Zika in Miami Beach &quot;is the most alarming&nbsp;development yet in the rapidly growing threat of Zika in the United States.&quot; 
 
Both Reid and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, renewed calls for lawmakers in the House and&nbsp;Senate to return to Washington to authorize funding to help public health officials fight the spread of&nbsp;Zika. 
 
President Barack Obama in February requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika but Congressional efforts to&nbsp;approve part of the funding deadlocked before lawmakers adjourned for the summer. 
 
Earlier on Friday, US health officials published a study estimating that as many as 270 babies in Puerto&nbsp;Rico may be born with the severe birth defect known as microcephaly caused by Zika infections in their&nbsp;mothers during pregnancy. 
 
A public health emergency was declared in the US territory on August 12 after more than 10,000&nbsp;laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. 
 
The condition, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, is&nbsp;estimated to cost $10 million over the lifetime of one child. 
 
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now&nbsp;confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the&nbsp;mothers. 
 
(Reuters)

The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of?Miami

Federal health officials on Friday warned pregnant women not to travel to trendy Miami Beach after Florida confirmed that the mosquito-borne Zika virus was active in the popular tourist destination. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that pregnant women who are especially worried about exposure to Zika - which has been shown to cause the severe birth defect known as microcephaly - might consider avoiding all of Miami-Dade County. The new warnings represent a challenge to Florida's multibillion dollar tourism industry, with Miami Beach accounting for nearly half of visitor stays in the city, and heighten concerns over Zika's spread in the continental United States. In a press conference, Florida Governor Rick Scott said state health officials had identified five cases of Zika believed to be contracted in Miami Beach. "This means we believe we have a new area where local transmissions are occurring in Miami Beach," he said, noting that the state had already stepped up pesticide spraying efforts in this area. The new transmissions come as Miami-Dade continues to battle Zika in the Wynwood arts neighborhood of Miami, the site of the first locally transmitted cases of Zika in the continental United States. In Miami Beach, the state believes Zika transmission is confined to a 1.5-square-mile area located between 8th and 28th streets in the popular South Beach neighborhood. Miami Beach resident Steve Ehrlich, 30, said news of the five cases transmitted somewhere in the blocks around his home was not surprising, but that did not make it any less concerning. "You knew it was going to intermingle all over the place," he said. And though Ehrlich said and he and his wife Caroline did not have any immediate plans to have more children, any thought of doing so has been indefinitely shelved. Current CDC guidelines recommend men wait six months after being infected with Zika before trying to have children to avoid passing the virus to a pregnant partner through semen. The recommendations are based on observations that the virus can live in semen as long as 93 days after an infection, but a recent report in the journal Eurosurveillence described two cases in which the virus lingered in semen six months after a person was infected. "The CDC is giving recommendations for how long to wait before you get pregnant, but it seems like no one has a clear grasp on just how long it stays in your system," Ehrlich said. "That's scary for us because we eventually want to have more kids." Travel expert Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group, said the Zika outbreak in South Florida could jeopardize travel in the area. "Even if one per cent or two per cent of potential travelers decide not to go to Florida, whether it’s for leisure or for business, there could be a multi-million dollar hit to the local economy,” he said. In a conference call with reporters on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said there have been at least four other independent instances of mosquito-borne Zika transmission in Miami-Dade county. These were individual cases and did not represent local transmission. Frieden said it is difficult to determine if cases are locally acquired and whether cases are related. As a result, there may be a time lag in reporting the spread of disease locally. Given that, Frieden said there could be transmissions that have not been identified throughout Miami, which is why the CDC has advised pregnant women and their sexual partners who are worried about potential exposure to consider avoiding travel to Miami entirely. Of the five new cases in Miami Beach, one person is a resident of New York, one person is a resident of Texas and one person is a resident of Taiwan. "All three of these people traveled to Miami," Scott said. Frieden said battling Zika-carrying mosquitoes in this neighborhood will be especially challenging because the area's high rise buildings will prevent pilots from flying low enough to drop pesticides in aerial spraying campaigns. "The inability to use aerial spraying there means we'll be limited to using ground-based techniques like backpack spraying," he said. Frieden said aerial spraying continues to be successful in the Wynwood neighborhood, where experts have seen "substantial but not complete knockdowns of mosquito populations. Scott said Florida has requested more support from the CDC. LAWMAKERS URGE MORE FUNDING Reporters pressed Scott on the timeliness of the announcement, which was first reported in the Miami Herald on Thursday and was confirmed by many other news outlets on Thursday, including Reuters. "We recognize the desire for information quickly, but it is important that we conduct our interviews and investigations pursuant to epidemiological standards," Scott said. Reporters charged Scott with underplaying Zika transmission and delaying confirmation to minimize the effect on tourism in the state. Scott said the state was taking every measure to ensure the information they provided to the public was accurate. In a press conference later on Friday, however, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine expressed frustration with Scott and the state's health department for keeping him and other elected officials in the dark about the island-city's five locally transmitted Zika cases. Levine said mayors across Miami received the information at the same time as media. "It's backwards," Levine said. US Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat, said the transmission of Zika in Miami Beach "is the most alarming development yet in the rapidly growing threat of Zika in the United States." Both Reid and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, renewed calls for lawmakers in the House and Senate to return to Washington to authorize funding to help public health officials fight the spread of Zika. President Barack Obama in February requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika but Congressional efforts to approve part of the funding deadlocked before lawmakers adjourned for the summer. Earlier on Friday, US health officials published a study estimating that as many as 270 babies in Puerto Rico may be born with the severe birth defect known as microcephaly caused by Zika infections in their mothers during pregnancy. A public health emergency was declared in the US territory on August 12 after more than 10,000 laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, including more than a thousand pregnant women. The condition, in which infants are born with abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains, is estimated to cost $10 million over the lifetime of one child. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infection in the mothers. (Reuters)

US expands travel warning as Zika spreads to Miami Beach

World number eight Tomas Berdych today pulled out of the Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus, just a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns. 
 
&quot;I am very sorry to announce that I will not take part in this year&#39;s Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,&quot; Berdych, the 30-year-old Wimbledon semi-finalist, said on Twitter. 
 
&quot;It is because of the Zika virus spread in the country of the Olympics.&quot; 
 
&quot;As I have founded a family recently, to limit health risks towards my nearest is the utmost priority.&quot; 
 
Berdych, who married model Ester Satorova last year, had also pulled out of the Czech Republic&#39;s Davis Cup tie with France, in which the Czechs are trailing 2-1 after today&#39;s rubbers. 
 
Berdych follows a host of other tennis stars who are skipping Rio over the Zika scare. 
 
On Friday, Wimbledon runner-up and world number seven Raonic, as well as Romania`s world number five Simona Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said they would not make the trip to Rio. 
 
Canadian star Raonic, who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday&#39;s Wimbledon final, said he had taken the decision &quot;with a heavy heart&quot;. 
 
John Isner of the United States, Austria&#39;s Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics. 
 
Italy&#39;s former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has turned down the opportunity while former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will also be missing. 
 
Sharapova is serving a doping suspension while Azarenka announced Friday that she is pregnant and won&#39;t compete again in 2016. 
Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as &quot;tennis tourism&quot; as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points. 
 
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) moved today to reassure players and fans over the threat posed by Zika at the Olympics which start on August 5. 
 
&quot;While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the IOC has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans,&quot; ITF president David Haggerty told AFP in a statement. 
 
&quot;We also accept the view of the World Health Organisation that there is no reason at this time to postpone or cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.&quot; 
 
Fears over Zika have already seen the image of the golf event in Rio badly tarnished with the sport`s top four players -- Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson -- all choosing not to play. 
 
(AFP)

He pulled out a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns

World number eight Tomas Berdych today pulled out of the Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus, just a day after fellow top ten stars Milos Raonic and Simona Halep also withdrew over similar health concerns. "I am very sorry to announce that I will not take part in this year's Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro," Berdych, the 30-year-old Wimbledon semi-finalist, said on Twitter. "It is because of the Zika virus spread in the country of the Olympics." "As I have founded a family recently, to limit health risks towards my nearest is the utmost priority." Berdych, who married model Ester Satorova last year, had also pulled out of the Czech Republic's Davis Cup tie with France, in which the Czechs are trailing 2-1 after today's rubbers. Berdych follows a host of other tennis stars who are skipping Rio over the Zika scare. On Friday, Wimbledon runner-up and world number seven Raonic, as well as Romania`s world number five Simona Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up, said they would not make the trip to Rio. Canadian star Raonic, who was defeated by Andy Murray in Sunday's Wimbledon final, said he had taken the decision "with a heavy heart". John Isner of the United States, Austria's Dominic Thiem, Australian duo Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios as well as Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez have all opted, for various reasons, not to take part in the Olympics. Italy's former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has turned down the opportunity while former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will also be missing. Sharapova is serving a doping suspension while Azarenka announced Friday that she is pregnant and won't compete again in 2016. Eccentric Latvian player Ernests Gulbis described the Rio event as "tennis tourism" as the Olympics do not offer either prize money or ranking points. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) moved today to reassure players and fans over the threat posed by Zika at the Olympics which start on August 5. "While we understand and respect the concerns over the Zika virus, the IOC has assured us that all precautions will be taken to limit the risk to athletes, officials and fans," ITF president David Haggerty told AFP in a statement. "We also accept the view of the World Health Organisation that there is no reason at this time to postpone or cancel the Rio 2016 Olympic Games." Fears over Zika have already seen the image of the golf event in Rio badly tarnished with the sport`s top four players -- Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson -- all choosing not to play. (AFP)

Tennis: Berdych pulls-out over Zika

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women&#39;s world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. 
 
They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. 
 
The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men&#39;s championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. 
 
&quot;It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,&quot; world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. 
 
&quot;After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.&quot; 
 
The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
Halep, who last month told Reuters she was &quot;very worried&quot; about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. 
 
&quot;I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,&quot; Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. 
 
&quot;After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can&rsquo;t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.&nbsp;I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision.&nbsp;I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible.&quot; 
 
Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. 
 
Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. 
 
Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. 
 
&quot;This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games,&quot; said Raonic. 
 
&quot;I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Milos Raonic and Simona Halep joined a growing list of athletes to pull out of Rio Games due to health concerns

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women's world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month's Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men's championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. "After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus." The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. Halep, who last month told Reuters she was "very worried" about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. "I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus," Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. "After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over. I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision. I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible." Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. "This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games," said Raonic. "I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer." (Reuters)

Raonic and Halep withdraw from Rio Olympics over Zika

United States health authorities Wednesday launched the second human trial of a vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is now spreading in the US and Latin America. 
 
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Zika virus investigational DNA vaccine will be given to 80 healthy volunteers aged 18-35 at three study sites in the United States, said the federal agency. 
 
The first dose was delivered Tuesday, the NIAID said in a statement. 
 
&quot;A safe and effective vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection and the devastating birth defects it causes is a public health imperative,&quot; said NIAID director Anthony S Fauci. 
 
&quot;Results in animal testing have been very encouraging. We are pleased that we are now able to proceed with this initial study in people.&quot; 
 
Fauci, who has previously warned that any vaccine against Zika would take years to develop, described the trial&#39;s launch as &quot;an important step forward.&quot; 
 
The drug is a DNA vaccine that is similar to another experimental vaccine developed by NIAID against West Nile virus. 
 
It cannot infect people with Zika, but is designed to make the body mount an immune response to Zika. 
 
DNA vaccines &quot;have been shown to be safe in previous clinical trials for other diseases,&quot; the NIAID statement said. 
 
The first Zika vaccine trial got under way last month. 
 
Led by Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals, the phase 1 trial using a Zika DNA vaccine called GLS-5700 is being conducted in Quebec City, Canada, as well as Miami and Philadelphia. 
 
Active transmission 
 
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say more than 50 countries and territories, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean, currently have active transmission of Zika virus. 
 
The United States last month announced its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in Miami, with more than a dozen infections among non-travelers. 
 
The CDC has issued a travel warning for a square-mile area where the Zika-infected mosquitoes are believed to be lurking. 
 
There is no cure for Zika. In four out of five cases, it causes no symptoms. People who do feel sick from it may experience a rash, joint pain or eye infection. 
 
However, in pregnant women Zika can cause permanent damage to the developing fetus, including microcephaly, a condition in which the infant&#39;s skull and brain are unusually small. 
 
Women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant are urged to avoid areas where Zika is circulating, and take steps to prevent mosquito bites. 
 
Barrier methods of contraception are also recommended, since the virus can be spread by sexual contact. 
 
Initial results from the NIAID vaccine trial are expected in January 2017. If it appears safe, a phase 2 trial in Zika-endemic countries could begin soon after. 
 
A study out last month in the journal Science projected that the Zika pandemic would fizzle out in the next two to three years. 
 
Zika cannot infect the same person twice, so once a large number of people build up immunity to it, the surge in cases will subside, argued lead author Neil Ferguson, a professor at Imperial College London&#39;s School of Public Health. 
 
&quot;This means by the time we have vaccines ready to be tested, there may not be enough cases of Zika in the community to test if the vaccine works,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The experimental Zika vaccine, designed to mount an immune respone to Zika, has shown encouraging results in animal testing

United States health authorities Wednesday launched the second human trial of a vaccine against the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which can cause birth defects and is now spreading in the US and Latin America. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Zika virus investigational DNA vaccine will be given to 80 healthy volunteers aged 18-35 at three study sites in the United States, said the federal agency. The first dose was delivered Tuesday, the NIAID said in a statement. "A safe and effective vaccine to prevent Zika virus infection and the devastating birth defects it causes is a public health imperative," said NIAID director Anthony S Fauci. "Results in animal testing have been very encouraging. We are pleased that we are now able to proceed with this initial study in people." Fauci, who has previously warned that any vaccine against Zika would take years to develop, described the trial's launch as "an important step forward." The drug is a DNA vaccine that is similar to another experimental vaccine developed by NIAID against West Nile virus. It cannot infect people with Zika, but is designed to make the body mount an immune response to Zika. DNA vaccines "have been shown to be safe in previous clinical trials for other diseases," the NIAID statement said. The first Zika vaccine trial got under way last month. Led by Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals, the phase 1 trial using a Zika DNA vaccine called GLS-5700 is being conducted in Quebec City, Canada, as well as Miami and Philadelphia. Active transmission The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say more than 50 countries and territories, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean, currently have active transmission of Zika virus. The United States last month announced its first locally transmitted cases of Zika in Miami, with more than a dozen infections among non-travelers. The CDC has issued a travel warning for a square-mile area where the Zika-infected mosquitoes are believed to be lurking. There is no cure for Zika. In four out of five cases, it causes no symptoms. People who do feel sick from it may experience a rash, joint pain or eye infection. However, in pregnant women Zika can cause permanent damage to the developing fetus, including microcephaly, a condition in which the infant's skull and brain are unusually small. Women who are pregnant or want to become pregnant are urged to avoid areas where Zika is circulating, and take steps to prevent mosquito bites. Barrier methods of contraception are also recommended, since the virus can be spread by sexual contact. Initial results from the NIAID vaccine trial are expected in January 2017. If it appears safe, a phase 2 trial in Zika-endemic countries could begin soon after. A study out last month in the journal Science projected that the Zika pandemic would fizzle out in the next two to three years. Zika cannot infect the same person twice, so once a large number of people build up immunity to it, the surge in cases will subside, argued lead author Neil Ferguson, a professor at Imperial College London's School of Public Health. "This means by the time we have vaccines ready to be tested, there may not be enough cases of Zika in the community to test if the vaccine works," he said. (AFP)

Second human trial of Zika vaccine gets underway in Miami, US

Cuba reported on Wednesday two new cases of residents contracting the mosquito-borne Zika virus locally, in a setback for the Caribbean country, that has taken a series of measures in an attempt to stave off the epidemic. 
 
Since the current outbreak of Zika in Brazil last year, where it has been linked to hundreds of cases of a rare birth defect, it has spread rapidly through the Americas. 
 
But Cuba, renowned for its preventative health campaigns, took a series of measures to eliminate the Aedes strain of mosquito that carries Zika, drastically reducing infestations. It had only reported one locally-contracted case until now. 
 
&quot;Last August 1, two new locally contracted cases of the Zika virus were diagnosed, corresponding to residents in the city of Holguin who had not traveled abroad, which brings the total up to three,&quot; the Health Ministry said in a statement published by state media. 
 
The ministry said the patients remained hospitalised, in a good state of general health, and with a &quot;favorable evolution&quot;. 
 
It added it was investigating the affected area to identify the possible existence of new cases and was continuing the fight against the Aedes strain of mosquito. 
 
Cuba has called out the military to help fumigate, activated neighborhood watch groups to check there is no standing water, where the insect&nbsp;breed, instituted health checks at airports and other entry points to the Caribbean island, among other measures. 
 
(Reuters)

Cuban health ministry is investigating the affected area to identify the possible existence of new cases

Cuba reported on Wednesday two new cases of residents contracting the mosquito-borne Zika virus locally, in a setback for the Caribbean country, that has taken a series of measures in an attempt to stave off the epidemic. Since the current outbreak of Zika in Brazil last year, where it has been linked to hundreds of cases of a rare birth defect, it has spread rapidly through the Americas. But Cuba, renowned for its preventative health campaigns, took a series of measures to eliminate the Aedes strain of mosquito that carries Zika, drastically reducing infestations. It had only reported one locally-contracted case until now. "Last August 1, two new locally contracted cases of the Zika virus were diagnosed, corresponding to residents in the city of Holguin who had not traveled abroad, which brings the total up to three," the Health Ministry said in a statement published by state media. The ministry said the patients remained hospitalised, in a good state of general health, and with a "favorable evolution". It added it was investigating the affected area to identify the possible existence of new cases and was continuing the fight against the Aedes strain of mosquito. Cuba has called out the military to help fumigate, activated neighborhood watch groups to check there is no standing water, where the insect breed, instituted health checks at airports and other entry points to the Caribbean island, among other measures. (Reuters)

Cuba reports two new locally-contracted cases of Zika virus

Florida authorities on Friday reported the first sign of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause a rare but serious birth defect. 
 
Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of 2.6 square kilometres. Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Scott said. 
 
While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. 
 
&quot;This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus,&quot; Scott said at a press conference. 
 
Zika appears to pose the greatest risk when it infects pregnant women, given its ability to cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. The current outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. 
 
Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip said that health officials are not advising pregnant women to move out of the suspected transmission area. 
 
&quot;We do not believe there will be ongoing transmission,&quot; Philip said at a press conference in Orlando, citing daily efforts to control the mosquito population in the area. 
 
The local health department is searching for other potential infections, with more than 2,300 people tested so far in the state, is ramping up mosquito control programs and is distributing Zika protection kits to pregnant women at their doctors&#39; offices, Florida officials said. 
 
Federal authorities have already begun to treat the Florida cases as a sign of local transmission. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered blood banks in Florida&#39;s densely populated Miami-Dade County and Broward County to stop collecting blood until they can test each unit or incorporate technologies that can kill blood pathogens. 
 
Residents in the trendy Miami neighbourhood thought to harbour Zika said the local spread of the virus had been inevitable, given the large numbers of tourists from other countries with outbreaks. 
 
Damian Jose Delgado, a 35-year-old father of two, said news of Zika&#39;s arrival would make him think twice about expanding his family. 
&quot;I think I might be done having kids,&quot; Delgado said. 
 
Federal scientists kept at arm&#39;s length 
 
The state of Florida is yet to invite a dedicated team of the federal government&#39;s disease hunters to assist with the investigation on the ground, health officials told Reuters. 
 
In its plans to fight Zika nationwide, CDC stressed that such teams would help local officials track and contain the virus. Similar teams were sent to Utah earlier this month to solve how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case, and quickly joined an effort to contain an Ebola case in Dallas in 2014. 
 
&quot;Should we need additional assistance, we will reach out,&quot; Gambineri said in an email. She did not reply to questions about why the state decided not to bring in a CDC team. 
 
Coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the state reported possible local Zika transmission on July 19 has been conducted largely at a distance, they said. That is surprising to some infectious disease experts, who say a less robust response could lead to a higher number of infections. 
 
CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has several teams ready for when states request help with Zika, including Florida. 
&quot;If invited, we&#39;ve got a team ready to go,&quot; he said. 
 
While Florida has a strong record of battling limited outbreaks of similar mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and chikungunya, the risk of birth defects caused by Zika adds greater urgency to containing its spread with every available means, they say. Other states have quickly called in CDC teams to help track high-profile diseases. 
 
&quot;You only have a small window. This is the window&quot; to prevent a small-scale outbreak from spreading, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who expressed impatience with the pace of the Florida investigation. 
 
The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the birth defect microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami

Florida authorities on Friday reported the first sign of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause a rare but serious birth defect. Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of 2.6 square kilometres. Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Scott said. While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. "This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus," Scott said at a press conference. Zika appears to pose the greatest risk when it infects pregnant women, given its ability to cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. The current outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip said that health officials are not advising pregnant women to move out of the suspected transmission area. "We do not believe there will be ongoing transmission," Philip said at a press conference in Orlando, citing daily efforts to control the mosquito population in the area. The local health department is searching for other potential infections, with more than 2,300 people tested so far in the state, is ramping up mosquito control programs and is distributing Zika protection kits to pregnant women at their doctors' offices, Florida officials said. Federal authorities have already begun to treat the Florida cases as a sign of local transmission. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered blood banks in Florida's densely populated Miami-Dade County and Broward County to stop collecting blood until they can test each unit or incorporate technologies that can kill blood pathogens. Residents in the trendy Miami neighbourhood thought to harbour Zika said the local spread of the virus had been inevitable, given the large numbers of tourists from other countries with outbreaks. Damian Jose Delgado, a 35-year-old father of two, said news of Zika's arrival would make him think twice about expanding his family. "I think I might be done having kids," Delgado said. Federal scientists kept at arm's length The state of Florida is yet to invite a dedicated team of the federal government's disease hunters to assist with the investigation on the ground, health officials told Reuters. In its plans to fight Zika nationwide, CDC stressed that such teams would help local officials track and contain the virus. Similar teams were sent to Utah earlier this month to solve how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case, and quickly joined an effort to contain an Ebola case in Dallas in 2014. "Should we need additional assistance, we will reach out," Gambineri said in an email. She did not reply to questions about why the state decided not to bring in a CDC team. Coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the state reported possible local Zika transmission on July 19 has been conducted largely at a distance, they said. That is surprising to some infectious disease experts, who say a less robust response could lead to a higher number of infections. CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has several teams ready for when states request help with Zika, including Florida. "If invited, we've got a team ready to go," he said. While Florida has a strong record of battling limited outbreaks of similar mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and chikungunya, the risk of birth defects caused by Zika adds greater urgency to containing its spread with every available means, they say. Other states have quickly called in CDC teams to help track high-profile diseases. "You only have a small window. This is the window" to prevent a small-scale outbreak from spreading, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who expressed impatience with the pace of the Florida investigation. The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the birth defect microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. (Reuters)

Florida cases seen as first sign of local Zika transmission in US

The Florida health department said yesterday it was investigating another two cases of Zika not related to travel to a place where the virus is being transmitted, raising the possibility of local Zika transmission in the continental United States.

The Florida health department said it has identified an additional case of Zika in Miami-Dade County, where it was already investigating a possible case of Zika not related to travel, and another case in Broward County, where it has been investigating a non-travel related case.

&quot;Evidence is mounting to suggest local transmission via mosquitoes is going on in South Florida,&quot; said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said.

&quot;These cases fit similar transmission patterns for mosquito-borne diseases such as Chikungunya that we&#39;ve seen in South Florida in years past.&quot;

To confirm whether Zika is being transmitted locally, epidemiologists must survey households and neighbours within a 150-yard radius around the residence of the person who has Zika, which constitutes the flying range of the mosquitoes that carry the virus.

According to the US&nbsp;Zika response plan, Zika transmission is defined as two or more cases not due to travel or sex with an infected person that occur in a 1-mile diameter over the course of a month. Evidence of the virus in local mosquito populations can also be used to confirm local transmission.

Florida heath department officials said investigations into the new cases begins today. The state is urging residents and visitors to participate in requests for urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected.

In addition to the possible cases of non-travel related transmission, Florida on Wednesday reported 328 travel-related cases of Zika. The state is monitoring 53 pregnant women who had Zika infections. 
 
(Reuters)

The cases suggest the possibility of local Zika transmission via mosquitoes in the continental United States

The Florida health department said yesterday it was investigating another two cases of Zika not related to travel to a place where the virus is being transmitted, raising the possibility of local Zika transmission in the continental United States. The Florida health department said it has identified an additional case of Zika in Miami-Dade County, where it was already investigating a possible case of Zika not related to travel, and another case in Broward County, where it has been investigating a non-travel related case. "Evidence is mounting to suggest local transmission via mosquitoes is going on in South Florida," said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said. "These cases fit similar transmission patterns for mosquito-borne diseases such as Chikungunya that we've seen in South Florida in years past." To confirm whether Zika is being transmitted locally, epidemiologists must survey households and neighbours within a 150-yard radius around the residence of the person who has Zika, which constitutes the flying range of the mosquitoes that carry the virus. According to the US Zika response plan, Zika transmission is defined as two or more cases not due to travel or sex with an infected person that occur in a 1-mile diameter over the course of a month. Evidence of the virus in local mosquito populations can also be used to confirm local transmission. Florida heath department officials said investigations into the new cases begins today. The state is urging residents and visitors to participate in requests for urine samples by the department in the areas of investigation. These results will help the department determine the number of people affected. In addition to the possible cases of non-travel related transmission, Florida on Wednesday reported 328 travel-related cases of Zika. The state is monitoring 53 pregnant women who had Zika infections. (Reuters)

Florida identifies two more non-travel related Zika cases

Colombia has declared its Zika epidemic is over, but warned that the mosquito-borne virus, which is blamed for causing brain damage in babies, would continue circulating on a smaller scale. 
 
Colombia has been the second hardest-hit country by the disease after Brazil, with nearly 100,000 cases and at least 21 babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. 
 
But 10 months into the outbreak, the health ministry said the number of reported cases had dropped to between 600 and 700 a week. 
 
&quot;Colombia is the first country in the Americas to declare the end of the epidemic,&quot; deputy health minister Fernando Ruiz told a news conference yetsterday. 
 
The virus &quot;now enters an endemic phase, in which a very small number of cases will undoubtedly remain in the future,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s a virus that&#39;s here to stay.&quot; 
 
Officials had initially predicted Colombia would register 450,000 to 600,000 cases of Zika before the epidemic was over. 
 
The number of babies affected could continue to rise, however. 
 
Doctors are still analysing the cases of 160 babies born with birth defects to mothers who were infected with Zika during pregnancy, to diagnose their condition and determine whether the virus was the cause. 
 
And new cases may be found in the coming months in babies conceived during the epidemic. 
 
The total number of microcephaly cases could reach 100 to 300, Ruiz predicted. 
 
Zika, which was discovered in Uganda in 1947, took the world by surprise when it emerged in the Americas last year with devastating effects. 
 
Since then, health authorities in the region have sounded the alarm over a surge in babies born with microcephaly and other deformities apparently linked to the flu-like virus. 
 
The virus is also suspected of causing nervous disorders, including Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which leads the immune system to attack the nerves and may lead to paralysis. 
 
Colombian officials have registered 350 cases of Guillain-Barre. 
 
Zika is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it has also been shown to spread through sexual contact.&nbsp;Brazil has been the country hardest hit by the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or cure. 
 
Authorities there have confirmed more than 1,000 cases of microcephaly blamed on Zika. 
 
(AFP)

'It's a virus that's here to stay,' the health minister said, warning that the virus would continue circulating on a smaller scale

Colombia has declared its Zika epidemic is over, but warned that the mosquito-borne virus, which is blamed for causing brain damage in babies, would continue circulating on a smaller scale. Colombia has been the second hardest-hit country by the disease after Brazil, with nearly 100,000 cases and at least 21 babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads. But 10 months into the outbreak, the health ministry said the number of reported cases had dropped to between 600 and 700 a week. "Colombia is the first country in the Americas to declare the end of the epidemic," deputy health minister Fernando Ruiz told a news conference yetsterday. The virus "now enters an endemic phase, in which a very small number of cases will undoubtedly remain in the future," he said. "It's a virus that's here to stay." Officials had initially predicted Colombia would register 450,000 to 600,000 cases of Zika before the epidemic was over. The number of babies affected could continue to rise, however. Doctors are still analysing the cases of 160 babies born with birth defects to mothers who were infected with Zika during pregnancy, to diagnose their condition and determine whether the virus was the cause. And new cases may be found in the coming months in babies conceived during the epidemic. The total number of microcephaly cases could reach 100 to 300, Ruiz predicted. Zika, which was discovered in Uganda in 1947, took the world by surprise when it emerged in the Americas last year with devastating effects. Since then, health authorities in the region have sounded the alarm over a surge in babies born with microcephaly and other deformities apparently linked to the flu-like virus. The virus is also suspected of causing nervous disorders, including Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which leads the immune system to attack the nerves and may lead to paralysis. Colombian officials have registered 350 cases of Guillain-Barre. Zika is mainly transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but it has also been shown to spread through sexual contact. Brazil has been the country hardest hit by the virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or cure. Authorities there have confirmed more than 1,000 cases of microcephaly blamed on Zika. (AFP)

Colombia declares its Zika epidemic over

New York City&#39;s health department today reported the first female-to-male transmission of the Zika virus which is most typically spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. 
 
Transmission of the virus occurred on the day that a woman in her 20s returned to New York from an area with active Zika transmission and had a single event of unprotected sex with a male partner. The man had not travelled outside of the United States in the prior year. 
 
The woman developed fever, fatigue a rash and body aches the next day and sought treatment. Health department officials then confirmed her infection. When her male partner developed symptoms seven days later and sought treatment from the same caregiver, he, too, was diagnosed with Zika. 
 
Health officials from New York, who reported the case in the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention&#39;s weekly report on death and disease, said the timing and sequence of events support female to male Zika virus transmission through unprotected vaginal sex. 
 
The CDC said it recommends that all pregnant women who have a sex partner who has travelled to or resides in an area with Zika use barrier methods every time they have sex or they should not have sex during the pregnancy. Although no cases of woman-to-woman Zika transmission have been reported, these recommendations now also apply to female sex partners of pregnant women. 
 
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. 
 
(Reuters)

The transmission of virus occurred from the female to male partner through unprotected sex, health officials in New York concluded

New York City's health department today reported the first female-to-male transmission of the Zika virus which is most typically spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Transmission of the virus occurred on the day that a woman in her 20s returned to New York from an area with active Zika transmission and had a single event of unprotected sex with a male partner. The man had not travelled outside of the United States in the prior year. The woman developed fever, fatigue a rash and body aches the next day and sought treatment. Health department officials then confirmed her infection. When her male partner developed symptoms seven days later and sought treatment from the same caregiver, he, too, was diagnosed with Zika. Health officials from New York, who reported the case in the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention's weekly report on death and disease, said the timing and sequence of events support female to male Zika virus transmission through unprotected vaginal sex. The CDC said it recommends that all pregnant women who have a sex partner who has travelled to or resides in an area with Zika use barrier methods every time they have sex or they should not have sex during the pregnancy. Although no cases of woman-to-woman Zika transmission have been reported, these recommendations now also apply to female sex partners of pregnant women. US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults. The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has now confirmed more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly that it considers to be related to Zika infections in the mothers. (Reuters)

New York City reports first female-to-male Zika transmission

An Austrian biotech company working with the Institut Pasteur said on Tuesday it planned to start clinical trials with an experimental Zika vaccine in the next 12 months, marking a further acceleration of research in the field. 
 
Themis Bioscience has signed a licence deal with the French research institute giving it extensive rights to the Zika vaccine candidate, which is based on established measles vaccine technology. 
 
More than a dozen small biotech firms and other organisations are working on vaccines against mosquito-borne Zika, which has been linked to birth defects and neurological disorders, although most work is at a very early stage. 
 
Erich Tauber, chief executive of Themis, believes his company&#39;s project will benefit from the proven track record behind the technology used to immunise against measles. 
 
French drugmaker Sanofi, the only big drugmaker working on a Zika shot, last week struck a deal with the US Army to speed up the development of another vaccine, which should be ready for testing on humans in October. 
 
Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus, which has caused a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas. 
 
The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly, or small heads in babies, as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder. 
 
(Reuters)

Themis Bioscience has signed a licence deal with the French research institute giving it extensive rights to the Zika vaccine candidate

An Austrian biotech company working with the Institut Pasteur said on Tuesday it planned to start clinical trials with an experimental Zika vaccine in the next 12 months, marking a further acceleration of research in the field. Themis Bioscience has signed a licence deal with the French research institute giving it extensive rights to the Zika vaccine candidate, which is based on established measles vaccine technology. More than a dozen small biotech firms and other organisations are working on vaccines against mosquito-borne Zika, which has been linked to birth defects and neurological disorders, although most work is at a very early stage. Erich Tauber, chief executive of Themis, believes his company's project will benefit from the proven track record behind the technology used to immunise against measles. French drugmaker Sanofi, the only big drugmaker working on a Zika shot, last week struck a deal with the US Army to speed up the development of another vaccine, which should be ready for testing on humans in October. Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus, which has caused a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas. The World Health Organization has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika is a cause of the birth defect microcephaly, or small heads in babies, as well as Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological disorder. (Reuters)

Austrian biotech plans Zika vaccine clinical trials in 12 months

World number two Dustin Johnson, who won his first major title at the US Open Golf Championship in June, won&#39;t play in the Rio Olympics because of concerns over the Zika virus. 
 
In a statement released to the Golf Channel on Friday by his agent, David Winkle of Hambric Sports Management, Johnson said his hopes of expanding his family with fiancee Paulina Gretzky meant it would be &quot;irresponsible&quot; to risk contracting the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to birth defects. 
 
&quot;As an athlete, I can think of no greater honour than representing the United States in the Olympic Games,&quot; Johnson&#39;s statement said. &quot;However, after much careful consideration and discussion with both my family and my team, I have made the decision to withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games. 
 
&quot;This was not an easy decision for me, but my concerns about the Zika Virus cannot be ignored,&quot; added Johnson, who has a one-year-old son, Tatum. 
 
&quot;Paulina and I plan to have more children in the near future, and I feel it would be irresponsible to put myself, her or our family at risk. I believe I am making the right decision for me and most importantly, my family.&quot; 
 
Johnson joined an exodus of top golfers from the Games which has taken the sheen off the sport&#39;s return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence. 
 
World number one Jason Day, Northern Ireland&#39;s Rory McIlroy, Australian Adam Scott and Japan&#39;s 17th-ranked Hideki Matsuyma have all mentioned Zika as a consideration in opting out of Rio. 
 
Johnson, who indicated last week that he expected to play in Rio, is the first eligible US golfer to pull out, but he might not be the last. 
Former world number one Jordan Spieth has also voiced interest in playing but has yet to confirm that he will. 
 
(AFP)

The world number two had said he expected to play in Rio. Now he's the first eligible US golfer to pull out, but might not be the last

World number two Dustin Johnson, who won his first major title at the US Open Golf Championship in June, won't play in the Rio Olympics because of concerns over the Zika virus. In a statement released to the Golf Channel on Friday by his agent, David Winkle of Hambric Sports Management, Johnson said his hopes of expanding his family with fiancee Paulina Gretzky meant it would be "irresponsible" to risk contracting the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to birth defects. "As an athlete, I can think of no greater honour than representing the United States in the Olympic Games," Johnson's statement said. "However, after much careful consideration and discussion with both my family and my team, I have made the decision to withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games. "This was not an easy decision for me, but my concerns about the Zika Virus cannot be ignored," added Johnson, who has a one-year-old son, Tatum. "Paulina and I plan to have more children in the near future, and I feel it would be irresponsible to put myself, her or our family at risk. I believe I am making the right decision for me and most importantly, my family." Johnson joined an exodus of top golfers from the Games which has taken the sheen off the sport's return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence. World number one Jason Day, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, Australian Adam Scott and Japan's 17th-ranked Hideki Matsuyma have all mentioned Zika as a consideration in opting out of Rio. Johnson, who indicated last week that he expected to play in Rio, is the first eligible US golfer to pull out, but he might not be the last. Former world number one Jordan Spieth has also voiced interest in playing but has yet to confirm that he will. (AFP)

Dustin Johnson pulls out of Olympics over Zika concerns

Zimbabwe&#39;s Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. 
 
While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a &quot;truly a business decision&quot;. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision,&quot; De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. &quot;It would have been a great honour to play for my country.&quot; 
 
De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. 
 
&quot;I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship,&quot; the 35-year-old added. 
 
&quot;I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family.&quot; 
 
De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain&#39;s Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. 
 
Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: &quot;I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow &amp; becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Spain's Sergio Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904

Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain's Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a "truly a business decision". "The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision," De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. "It would have been a great honour to play for my country." De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. "I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship," the 35-year-old added. "I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family." De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain's Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: "I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow & becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics." (AFP)

Golf: De Jonge out, Garcia confirms for Olympics

The threat of Zika at the Rio Olympics is on the mind of many athletes, but may be not more than&nbsp;China&#39;s former badminton world champion, Wang Yihan, who was attacked mercilessly by insects while competing in Indonesia last week. 
 
The svelte 28-year-old, who won silver in the women&#39;s singles at the London Games, was still smarting from red bites up and down her arms as she competed at the Australian Badminton Open in Sydney on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;They&#39;re itchy,&quot; she told Reuters, lathered in sweat after a tough opening round win over Scotland&#39;s Kirsty Gilmour at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. 
 
&quot;And the sweat makes it worse.&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really not sure what kind of bugs they were. I don&#39;t think they were mosquitoes. Maybe it was on the bed that I was sleeping on. 
 
&quot;I bought some cream for them, but they&#39;re still itchy.&quot; 
 
A number of athletes have already pulled out of the Olympics citing health risks associated with the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause crippling birth defects and development problems in babies. 
 
Others are declining to bring family members and loved ones with them. Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford decided to freeze his sperm to safeguard future plans for extending his young family. 
 
However, the outbreak in Brazil will not stop China from unleashing its full artillery of badminton champions, who will attempt to defend their sweep of five titles at London. 
 
&quot;Yes, I think everyone&#39;s been thinking about (Zika),&quot; Wang said. &quot;But obviously we&#39;ve been told about how to be safe, wearing repellent and staying indoors and so on.&quot; 
 
Shanghai-born Wang is determined to go one better at Rio, having been upset in London&#39;s gold-medal decider by compatriot Li Xuerui, an unheralded player, before her Olympic triumph. 
 
Wang&#39;s anguish upon losing the final was written large on her face and she was still gloomy as she mounted the podium next to her beaming team mate. 
 
&quot;I did feel disappointed at the time, even though it was my team mate who won the gold,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;Of course it&#39;s great to get any medal but in the end, there&#39;s only one champion.&quot; 
 
World badminton has changed the Olympic rules so that nations can only enter two shuttlers into the singles events, which will make it harder for China to repeat their London domination. 
 
Wang is currently ranked third in the world, ahead of fourth-ranked Li, with the top two spots occupied by Spain&#39;s world number one Carolina Marin and Thai Ratchanok Intanon. 
 
China&#39;s women have traditionally dominated the singles rankings, so the variety at the top has been welcomed by badminton fans and raised hope of a more open tournament at Rio. 
 
Wang said any number of players could win her event but felt Chongqing-born Li would be hard to beat and perhaps the biggest threat to her own gold ambitions. 
 
&quot;I think Li&#39;s game is really complete overall,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;We&#39;ve both got our different strengths. 
 
&quot;There are other players like Ratchanok, Marin and (Indian player) Saina Nehwal who all have a chance but I think Li is still at a higher level.&quot;

Citing health risks associated with Zika virus, many athletes have pulled out of Olympics, while others are unwilling to bring family

The threat of Zika at the Rio Olympics is on the mind of many athletes, but may be not more than China's former badminton world champion, Wang Yihan, who was attacked mercilessly by insects while competing in Indonesia last week. The svelte 28-year-old, who won silver in the women's singles at the London Games, was still smarting from red bites up and down her arms as she competed at the Australian Badminton Open in Sydney on Wednesday. "They're itchy," she told Reuters, lathered in sweat after a tough opening round win over Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. "And the sweat makes it worse." "I'm really not sure what kind of bugs they were. I don't think they were mosquitoes. Maybe it was on the bed that I was sleeping on. "I bought some cream for them, but they're still itchy." A number of athletes have already pulled out of the Olympics citing health risks associated with the mosquito-borne virus, which can cause crippling birth defects and development problems in babies. Others are declining to bring family members and loved ones with them. Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford decided to freeze his sperm to safeguard future plans for extending his young family. However, the outbreak in Brazil will not stop China from unleashing its full artillery of badminton champions, who will attempt to defend their sweep of five titles at London. "Yes, I think everyone's been thinking about (Zika)," Wang said. "But obviously we've been told about how to be safe, wearing repellent and staying indoors and so on." Shanghai-born Wang is determined to go one better at Rio, having been upset in London's gold-medal decider by compatriot Li Xuerui, an unheralded player, before her Olympic triumph. Wang's anguish upon losing the final was written large on her face and she was still gloomy as she mounted the podium next to her beaming team mate. "I did feel disappointed at the time, even though it was my team mate who won the gold," she said. "Of course it's great to get any medal but in the end, there's only one champion." World badminton has changed the Olympic rules so that nations can only enter two shuttlers into the singles events, which will make it harder for China to repeat their London domination. Wang is currently ranked third in the world, ahead of fourth-ranked Li, with the top two spots occupied by Spain's world number one Carolina Marin and Thai Ratchanok Intanon. China's women have traditionally dominated the singles rankings, so the variety at the top has been welcomed by badminton fans and raised hope of a more open tournament at Rio. Wang said any number of players could win her event but felt Chongqing-born Li would be hard to beat and perhaps the biggest threat to her own gold ambitions. "I think Li's game is really complete overall," she said. "We've both got our different strengths. "There are other players like Ratchanok, Marin and (Indian player) Saina Nehwal who all have a chance but I think Li is still at a higher level."

Zika threat bugging Chinese shuttler Wang

The World Health Organization&#39;s Emergency Committee on Zika will meet early next week to consider new evidence and review its recommendations, including&nbsp;recommendations for the&nbsp;Rio Olympics, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The group of independent experts, who declared an international emergency on Feb. 1 and last convened on March 8, will &quot;look at evidence around the Olympics and most likely review the travel guidance around that,&quot;&nbsp;Christian Lindmeier said.

The WHO has rejected a call by more than 100 scientists for the Rio Games to be moved or postponed due to the threat from the Zika outbreak that began a year ago.

&quot;The role of Emergency Committee is to review all new science and all new evidence which has come in over the past months and to review their own recommendations, to make new recommendations or give out new guidance,&quot; Lindmeier told a news briefing, adding that the date would be announced shortly.

A source close to the Emergency Committee told Reuters that the meeting was planned for Tuesday, June 14.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is linked to microcephaly, a rare birth defect characterised by an unusually small head size and potentially severe developmental problems.

Dr. David Heymann, chair of the Health Protection Agency in Britain and leader of the WHO panel, told Reuters last week that postponing the Rio Olympics due to fears that the event could speed the spread of the virus would create a false sense of security, because travellers are constantly going in and out of Brazil.

Scientists are telling the WHO that the risk of global spread of the virus is &quot;not significantly higher&quot; as a consequence of the Games that start on Aug. 5, Lindmeier said.

&quot;Of course there is a lot of international concern out there, there is a lot of personal concern out there because it&#39;s a new disease,&quot; he said. &quot;And the best way for us to react to emotional concerns is to look at our deep science and to give clear guidance as good as we can.&quot;

Lindmeier said it was &quot;a risky and dangerous virus but that risk can be minimised through a package of measures&quot;, including using insect repellent and protective clothing.

The WHO said last week that people returning from Zika-infected areas should follow safe sex practices or abstain from sex for at least eight weeks rather than just four.

Brazil&#39;s Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani has said he expects there to be almost no cases of the Zika virus during the Olympics, adding that the country is prepared for the Games, despite health concerns and political instability.

WHO's special panel created for Zika will meet next week to evaluate its suggestions prior to the upcoming RIO Olympics.

The World Health Organization's Emergency Committee on Zika will meet early next week to consider new evidence and review its recommendations, including recommendations for the Rio Olympics, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said on Tuesday. The group of independent experts, who declared an international emergency on Feb. 1 and last convened on March 8, will "look at evidence around the Olympics and most likely review the travel guidance around that," Christian Lindmeier said. The WHO has rejected a call by more than 100 scientists for the Rio Games to be moved or postponed due to the threat from the Zika outbreak that began a year ago. "The role of Emergency Committee is to review all new science and all new evidence which has come in over the past months and to review their own recommendations, to make new recommendations or give out new guidance," Lindmeier told a news briefing, adding that the date would be announced shortly. A source close to the Emergency Committee told Reuters that the meeting was planned for Tuesday, June 14. The mosquito-borne Zika virus is linked to microcephaly, a rare birth defect characterised by an unusually small head size and potentially severe developmental problems. Dr. David Heymann, chair of the Health Protection Agency in Britain and leader of the WHO panel, told Reuters last week that postponing the Rio Olympics due to fears that the event could speed the spread of the virus would create a false sense of security, because travellers are constantly going in and out of Brazil. Scientists are telling the WHO that the risk of global spread of the virus is "not significantly higher" as a consequence of the Games that start on Aug. 5, Lindmeier said. "Of course there is a lot of international concern out there, there is a lot of personal concern out there because it's a new disease," he said. "And the best way for us to react to emotional concerns is to look at our deep science and to give clear guidance as good as we can." Lindmeier said it was "a risky and dangerous virus but that risk can be minimised through a package of measures", including using insect repellent and protective clothing. The WHO said last week that people returning from Zika-infected areas should follow safe sex practices or abstain from sex for at least eight weeks rather than just four. Brazil's Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani has said he expects there to be almost no cases of the Zika virus during the Olympics, adding that the country is prepared for the Games, despite health concerns and political instability.

WHO committee on Zika to meet next week for reviewing evidence and recommendations

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