Anxiety about the Zika virus continues after the CDC confirmed it has been tracking nine pregnant women in the U.S. who tested positive for the virus.
Anxiety about the Zika virus continues after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it has been tracking nine pregnant women in the U.S. who tested positive for the virus.
Some of those cases had tragic outcomes. Four of the women suffered miscarriages or chose to end their pregnancies after complications, and one woman gave birth to an infant with serious birth defects.
Just this week, new research offered the first evidence that Zika might cause a severe neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Dr. Seema Yasmin, the Dallas Morning News' medical expert, said there are still many unanswered questions about the Zika virus, including how long it can remain in the body.
"The guidance is still to make sure you protect yourself against mosquito bites if you're going to any area – not just Brazil – any area where this epidemic is raging," Yasmin said. "And also, even if you're not traveling and your partner is going to one of these places, it's really important that you have protected sex once they return home."
Yasmin also advises people to remember that mosquito season is just around the corner.
"People in North Texas are already reporting seeing mosquitoes in their backyards," Yasmin said. "As soon as it gets to about 60 or even 70 degrees, those mosquitoes that spread dengue and chikungunya and Zika, they start to breed. So, it's really important you get rid of any standing water around the house."
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"I've talked to scientists who say that you see discarded soda caps, and just there is enough water for mosquitoes to start breeding," Yasmin added.
