CDC confirms link between Zika & microcephaly

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CDC confirms link between Zika, microcephaly in Brazilian babies who died
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control has identified the Zika virus
 in the tissue of two babies who died in Brazil from microcephaly — the 
strongest link yet between the virus and the birth defect that has 
stricken developing fetuses, the CDC director told a House panel 
Wednesday.
"Zika is new, and new diseases can be scary, particularly when they can affect the most vulnerable among us," CDC Director Tom Frieden told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The CDC is warning pregnant women to protect their babies by avoiding travel to South America, Central America and the Caribbean,
 where the virus is spreading the fastest. Women who are already in 
those countries should take precautions to protect themselves from 
mosquitoes, which are the main way that the disease is 
transmitted, Frieden said.
The virus is not a major threat to the rest of the 
population. Frieden said that 80% of people who contract the virus will 
have no symptoms at all. The rest will have only mild symptoms, he said.
President
 Obama on Monday announced that he was seeking $1.8 billion in emergency
 funding from Congress to combat the Zika virus through mosquito control
 programs, vaccine research, education and improving health care for 
low-income pregnant women.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., introduced a bill Tuesday that would give 
the Obama administration the flexibility to use existing, unused funds 
that had been set aside for combating the Ebola outbreak of 2014.  The 
legislation lifts restrictions on the funds to allow it to be spent for 
response and preparedness related to the Zika virus. Identical 
legislation is being offered in the House.
There was nearly $3 billion left in the fund as of September, Johnson's office said.
However,
 Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the 
administration does not want to tap into the remaining Ebola funds, even
 though that disease has been largely contained. She told reporters 
after a briefing with Senate leaders Tuesday that "we need to finish the
 job in terms of Ebola” and focus separately on the Zika virus.
A 
second hearing on the Zika virus and Obama's funding request is 
scheduled for Thursday before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee 
that oversees health issues. Frieden will testify again.
"We all 
believe this needs to be dealt with in the best possible way and the 
quickest possible way," said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., chairman of the 
appropriations subcommittee.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/10/cdc-confirms-link-between-zika-microcephaly-brazilian-babies-who-died/80179898/#

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Albert Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Joined: April 24 2006 Status: Offline Points: 47746	Post Options Post Reply Quote Albert Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: CDC confirms link between Zika & microcephaly Posted: February 10 2016 at 12:14pm
	CDC confirms link between Zika, microcephaly in Brazilian babies who died WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control has identified the Zika virus in the tissue of two babies who died in Brazil from microcephaly — the strongest link yet between the virus and the birth defect that has stricken developing fetuses, the CDC director told a House panel Wednesday. "Zika is new, and new diseases can be scary, particularly when they can affect the most vulnerable among us," CDC Director Tom Frieden told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The CDC is warning pregnant women to protect their babies by avoiding travel to South America, Central America and the Caribbean, where the virus is spreading the fastest. Women who are already in those countries should take precautions to protect themselves from mosquitoes, which are the main way that the disease is transmitted, Frieden said. The virus is not a major threat to the rest of the population. Frieden said that 80% of people who contract the virus will have no symptoms at all. The rest will have only mild symptoms, he said. President Obama on Monday announced that he was seeking $1.8 billion in emergency funding from Congress to combat the Zika virus through mosquito control programs, vaccine research, education and improving health care for low-income pregnant women. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., introduced a bill Tuesday that would give the Obama administration the flexibility to use existing, unused funds that had been set aside for combating the Ebola outbreak of 2014. The legislation lifts restrictions on the funds to allow it to be spent for response and preparedness related to the Zika virus. Identical legislation is being offered in the House. There was nearly $3 billion left in the fund as of September, Johnson's office said. However, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said the administration does not want to tap into the remaining Ebola funds, even though that disease has been largely contained. She told reporters after a briefing with Senate leaders Tuesday that "we need to finish the job in terms of Ebola” and focus separately on the Zika virus. A second hearing on the Zika virus and Obama's funding request is scheduled for Thursday before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees health issues. Frieden will testify again. "We all believe this needs to be dealt with in the best possible way and the quickest possible way," said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., chairman of the appropriations subcommittee. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/10/cdc-confirms-link-between-zika-microcephaly-brazilian-babies-who-died/80179898/#
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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Post Options Post Reply Quote Guests Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 10 2016 at 12:58pm
	Notes from the Field: Evidence of Zika Virus Infection in Brain and Placental Tissues from Two Congenitally Infected Newborns and Two Fetal Losses — Brazil, 2015 Early Release / February 10, 2016 / 65(06);1–2 Roosecelis Brasil Martines, MD, PhD¹; Julu Bhatnagar, PhD¹; M. Kelly Keating, DVM¹; Luciana Silva-Flannery, PhD¹; Atis Muehlenbachs, MD, PhD¹; Joy Gary, DVM, PhD¹; Cynthia Goldsmith, MS¹; Gillian Hale, MD¹; Jana Ritter, DVM¹; Dominique Rollin, MD¹; Wun-Ju Shieh, MD, PhD¹; Kleber G. Luz, MD, PhD²; Ana Maria de Oliveira Ramos, MD, PhD³; Helaine Pompeia Freire Davi, MD, PhD⁴; Wanderson Kleber de Oliveria, MD⁵; Robert Lanciotti, PhD⁶; Amy Lambert, PhD⁶; Sherif Zaki, MD, PhD¹EXTRACTS Tissues samples from two newborns (born at 36 and 38 weeks gestation) with microcephaly who died within 20 hours of birth and two miscarriages (fetal losses at 11 and 13 weeks) were submitted to CDC, from the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, for histopathologic evaluation and laboratory testing for suspected Zika virus infection. All four mothers had clinical signs of Zika virus infection, including fever and rash, during the first trimester of pregnancy, the mothers were not tested for antibodies to Zika virus ????? Samples included brain and other autopsy tissues from the two newborns, a placenta from one of the newborns, and products of conception from the two miscarriages. Specific specimens from all four cases were positive by RT-PCR, and sequence analysis provided further evidence of Zika virus infection. In the newborns, only brain tissue was positive by RT-PCR assays. Specimens from two of the four cases were positive by immunohistochemistry: viral antigen was noted in mononuclear cells (presumed to be glial cells and neurons within the brain) of one newborn, and within the chorionic villi from one of the miscarriages. Testing for dengue virus was negative by RT-PCR in specimens from all cases. Other autopsy tissues and placenta had no significant findings. Tests for toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, and HIV were negative in the two mothers who experienced miscarriages ?????. There is a wealth of information here get whole study here http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6506e1er.htm?s_cid=mm6506e1er_e

CRS, DrPH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660	Post Options Post Reply Quote CRS, DrPH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: February 10 2016 at 5:52pm
	Thanks for the posts, Guest! Why don't you register and join up? This explains how the Zika could rapidly spread, as did the related virus Chikungunya: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/zika-virus-outbreak/how-will-zika-spread-look-chikungunya-cdc-head-says-n516111 Zika infection is relatively benign unless you are pregnant, they should consider "deliberate infection" with Zika in pre-and inter-conceptional females until a vaccine is developed. The vaccine could take a while.
	CRS, DrPH

CDC confirms link between Zika & microcephaly

CDC confirms link between Zika, microcephaly in Brazilian babies who died

Notes from the Field: Evidence of Zika Virus Infection in Brain and Placental Tissues from Two Congenitally Infected Newborns and Two Fetal Losses — Brazil, 2015