Posted: March 25, 2016 Contributor: administrator
First Non-Travel Related Zika Case Hits Cuba
The Zika virus has continued to surprise health officials. What we believed was a virus passed only by mosquitoes, quickly became spread by sexual contact. We have heard that the warmer temperatures are bound to spread the virus further, while government organizations continue to warn travelers about the potential dangers of visiting infected areas.
Women who are pregnant, or plan on soon becoming pregnant, are advised not to visit impacted territories or countries. Additionally, women with spouses or significant others who have traveled to impacted areas are advised to refrain from sex with their partners or be certain to use a barrier method of protection, like a condom. Recently, a 21-year-old Havana woman became the first confirmed case of locally transmitted Zika in Cuba.
While some suffer from no symptoms at all, this woman experienced headaches, fatigue and other various symptoms, prompting her to seek out a doctor. Once tested, it was confirmed that she was indeed suffering the symptoms of the Zika virus.
Unlike many others, she had not traveled to infected areas. Previously confirmed Zika cases in Cuba were traced to people traveling outside of the area, especially to Venezuela.
Cuba is fighting back by tasking roughly 9,000 soldiers, police and college students with the job of eliminating standing water (which is often insect breeding ground) and fumigating for mosquitoes.