US health officials investigating mysterious case of Zika virus
Source: STAT
Health officials said Monday that they are investigating the case of a man in Utah who has contracted Zika virus locally through unknown means, one of the more mysterious cases of transmission yet involving the virus.
The individual, who has not been identified, recently helped care for his father, who had contracted Zika and died earlier this month. The second case had not recently traveled outside the country.
That shifts the focus of the investigation to mosquitoes and the possibility that the new case became infected while caring for his dying father. The older man had a serious illness when he contracted Zika while traveling outside the US.
Though most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, Zika virus can be spread through contact with body fluids from an infected person including semen and blood. The virus is also found in urine and saliva.
Read more: https://www.statnews.com/2016/07/18/zika-virus-utah-investigation/
Tess49
(1,580 posts)reason to always wear gloves. I wonder if it can be spread through saliva too... which means those of us in patient care may need to take both blood borne, and air borne precautions.
HuckleB
(35,773 posts)truthisfreedom
(23,155 posts)Zika has been ignored by the repukes at their own peril.
cynzke
(1,254 posts)Is how little we know about this disease and how it affects individuals. It can be more virulent in some victims, putting healthcare workers and others(?) at risk. Right now it sounds like a roll of the dice. We can't ignore this. Look at the panic that the ebola outbreak created.
Javaman
(62,534 posts)it doesn't take a giant leap of faith to think that, just cleaning up after his dad ate, could be enough to spread it.
HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)All the original reports said it was an Elderly Woman in Utah. Google it. I also read a Pew Report saying that the majority of Americans (70%) are not concerned personally about catching Zika.
Ramping up the fear factor by showing a casual link to Zika? The vaccine manufacturer is starting human trials next month. If Americans are not terribly concerned, they won't be rushing out to get vaccinated for Zika. Contagious casual contract, especially with an asymptotic person, will create more of a demand for the vaccine.
HuckleB
(35,773 posts)As are your anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.
HepKitty416
(10 posts)That's how our country's response to Zika makes me feel. It's abhorrent that more hasn't been done to protect current and future citizens of the greatest nation in the world.
Can't help but think that the majority of those immediately impacted by Zika (women, those in low-income areas) aren't very important to the powers that be. If this virus affected men, I think we'd have seen a solution already.
I wish I had the original quote to share with you, but one of our jack-a** "leaders" literally said that Zika isn't a problem, because it doesn't have any major health consequences, evidenced by the fact that "most do not show symptoms;" AND that the worst that might happen is having "a baby with a small head. Deal with it." His words, not mine.
No thought at all about the larger community impact, and an appalling lack of knowledge regarding the worst-case scenario. Family values, right? Living in the southeast, mosquito heaven, and hoping to start a family - this whole topic breaks my heart.