By Julie Steenhuysen The World Health Organization advises women living in areas where the Zika virus is transmitted to delay a pregnancy ...
By Julie Steenhuysen
The World Health Organization advises women living in areas where the Zika virus is transmitted to delay a pregnancy already given advice from a number of countries where the virus is widespread transmission.
The WHO recommends that the last week, but its importance has Thursday as the health authority issued a correction to its Opinion on the prevention of sexual transmission of the virus.
Although Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, but can also be transmitted sexually. For women who are pregnant, exposing the fetus to the risk of microcephaly, a birth defect by a small head and brain characterized underdeveloped. Concerns about microcephaly led the WHO to declare a global health emergency on 1 February Zika.
WHO guide now explicitly states that men and women of life of childbearing potential should draw in the affected areas into consideration to delay pregnancy. The board did not say how long. It will affect both men and women from 60 countries.
Several affected by the epidemic Zika countries, including El Salvador, have issued similar warnings to the residents.
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention of disease is to avoid not recommended for women pregnant during the outbreak of Zika, unless they are infected. Previously Zika is only in the US territories of Puerto Rico and American Samoa Virgin. For these women, the CDC advises Zika the risks discuss with their doctors, and it is recommended for women who do not want to get pregnant, use the most effective means of contraception.
In Puerto Rico, health officials in the United States access to IUD have increased for women who want to avoid pregnancy.
The CDC has recommended that all pregnant women with active transmission Zika avoid traveling to areas. Zika, it should not lead to major outbreaks in the continental United States.
Experts estimate that it may take several years before a vaccine Zika is widespread.
