Close X
Sunday, November 17, 2024
ADVT 
Health

WHO: Sexual Transmission Of Zika More Common Than Thought

The Canadian Press, 08 Mar, 2016 01:17 PM
    GENEVA — Sexual transmission of the Zika virus is more common than previously thought, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, citing reports from several countries.
     
    After a meeting of its emergency committee on Tuesday, the U.N. health agency also said there is increasing evidence that a spike in disturbing birth defects and neurological problems are caused by Zika, which is mostly spread by mosquito bites. When WHO declared the explosive outbreak in the Americas to be a global emergency last month, it said that the evidence that Zika was responsible was only circumstantial.
     
    WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said "reports and investigations in several countries strongly suggest that sexual transmission of the virus is more common than previously assumed." The U.S. is investigating more than a dozen possible cases of Zika in people who may have been infected through sex.
     
    Chan also said nine countries have now reported increasing cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition that can cause temporary paralysis and death. She said that problems linked to Zika, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, are now being seen not just in women of child-bearing age, but children, teenagers and older adults.
     
    Zika is also now spreading to new countries, WHO said. It noted local transmission has now been reported in 31 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
     
    "All of this news is alarming," Chan said.
     
    Despite the lack of definitive evidence proving that Zika causes birth defects and neurological problems, Chan said officials shouldn't wait for definitive scientific proof before making recommendations.
     
    "Microcephaly is now only one of several documented birth abnormalities associated with Zika infection during pregnancy," she said, adding that it can cause growth problems, injuries to the central nervous system and fetal death.
     
     
    WHO's emergency committee called for "intensified" research into the relationship between new clusters of babies born with abnormally small heads and other neurological disorders. It said particular attention should be given to studying the genetics of the different Zika virus strains and establishing studies to determine if there is a causal relationship.
     
    So far, cases of babies born with small, deformed heads linked to Zika have only been confirmed in Brazil and French Polynesia, though officials say they expect reports from other countries once the virus has been circulating there long enough to affect pregnant women. Colombia has reported several suspected cases of microcephaly.
     
    "Women who are pregnant in affected countries or travel to these countries are understandably deeply worried," Chan said.
     
    WHO recommends pregnant women avoid travel to areas with ongoing Zika outbreaks and that if their partners travel to affected countries, they should practice safe sex or abstain from sex for the duration of their pregnancy.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Even electric shock can give you Neymar-like injury!

    Even electric shock can give you Neymar-like injury!
    Even as an on-field spinal injury keeps Brazil's star player Neymar Junior out of World Cup semifinal clash between Brazil and Germany Tuesday, experts say similar injuries are also common off the field.

    Even electric shock can give you Neymar-like injury!

    Fungus in Greek yoghurt serious health threat?

    Fungus in Greek yoghurt serious health threat?
    A fungus strain responsible for an outbreak of contaminated Greek yoghurt last year has the ability to cause serious gastrointestinal (GI) problems, according to new research.

    Fungus in Greek yoghurt serious health threat?

    Porn addiction may turn women into hypersexuals: Study

    Porn addiction may turn women into hypersexuals: Study
    Not just fantasies, but heavy porn viewing may make some women "hypersexual" - to have sex so frequently that it may cause them problems, a fascinating study reveals.

    Porn addiction may turn women into hypersexuals: Study

    More first-time moms surfing Google for pregnancy queries

    More first-time moms surfing Google for pregnancy queries
    The Google search engine has come to the rescue of would-be moms. According to researchers, more and more first-time mothers are using the internet to seek answers to their queries related to pregnancies.

    More first-time moms surfing Google for pregnancy queries

    Older women's eggs 'just as good'?

    Older women's eggs 'just as good'?
    An old hypothesis that claims that as a woman ages, the eggs she will produce will have more faulty chromosomes - leading to miscarriages and developmental abnormalities - does not hold much water, says a new research.

    Older women's eggs 'just as good'?

    Casual sex boosts your overall well-being

    Casual sex boosts your overall well-being
    Do not let that depression mount over your head if you have had a casual fling recently. Casual hookups are actually good for your overall well-being, researchers say.

    Casual sex boosts your overall well-being