US: Considering the possibility of considering Zika virus a national threat

(Baonghean.vn) - Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, announced on April 17 (local time) the possibility of a nationwide outbreak of the Zika virus after recording 350 cases of Zika virus infection abroad and then returning to the country, including 1 suspected case of infection within the US border.

A pair of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes mating in a laboratory at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2003.

The world's first case of Zika virus infection was detected in Brazil in 2015 and is spreading through the Americas.

The disease is associated with abnormally small heads in newborns, causing symptoms of underdeveloped brains. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency over the risk of Zika virus infection in February 2016.

Zika virus is spread through mosquito bites and sexual contact, causing Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults. The Aedes aegypti mosquito is considered the main cause of transmission, existing in 30 states in the United States.

Dr. Fauci is also very concerned that other neurological diseases could be linked to the Zika virus.

"Now it's not just babies who are at risk of getting Zika virus, it's adults who are at risk. The symptoms can be called encephalitis or myelitis," Dr. Fauci shared.

Dr. Fauci also asked the federal government to provide $1.9 billion in emergency funds to fight the Zika virus, which was approved by some Republican members.

“We have to act now,” Fauci said. “We cannot wait until we start developing a vaccine against Zika.”

Thanh Hien

(According to Reuters)