Zika is the first mosquito-borne virus known to cause awful birth defects, majority brain-related. "'However, many questions still remain to be answered - including the role of previous dengue infection"..." But the infection can also lead to a neurological birth defect called microcephaly.

Northern Michigan's News Leader is working to keep you up to date on the Zika virus and what you need to know about it.

None of the Michigan cases was acquired locally, and none included pregnant women, said Jennifer Eisner, spokeswoman for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The researchers said theirs was the first study to compare children with microcephaly to a "control" sample of healthy children - two controls for every malformed baby. The Florida Department of Health has provided free Zika testing to 2,328 pregnant women since free testing began.

For example, while the blood of 80 percent of the mothers who gave birth to a baby with microcephaly tested positive for Zika, that was true for only 64 percent of the "control group" mothers.

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The study is ongoing, and the researchers said they plan to expand their investigation to 200 cases and 400 matched controls. More than 500 cases have been recorded across Singapore and Thailand this year, according to local media reports, as well as at least 40 cases in Malaysia and three in Vietnam.

"But a travel-related case has been confirmed". "While Washington continues to spend money on wasteful projects every year, they can not seem to agree on spending for a virus that severely impacts pregnant women and their growing babies". "If your partner is pregnant and you have recently travelled to a Zika affected country, abstain from sex or adopt safer sexual practices for the subsequent duration of the pregnancy".

Sensitization sessions on the implications of Zika Virus and the possible modes of transmission are routinely provide through antenatal clinics at Wellness Centres throughout the island. For instance, while the only reliable way to verify presence of Zika virus or antibodies in newborns is to test blood and spinal fluid, it is not clear how reliable this can be, especially where infection occurred early in pregnancy.

As a result of the findings, Zika virus should be officially added to the list of congenital infections alongside others, such as syphilis, rubella and cytomegalovirus, said Thália Velho Barreto de Araújo, an expert at the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife.

She was admitted to hospital after a prolonged fever, rashes and conjunctivitis on Sunday, and tested positive for Zika.