ZIKA

Puerto Rico, one of the countries currently experiencing active Zika virus transmission, has reported its first Zika-related death.

The world’s first commercial Zika test has been approved for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A sector of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will support Roche Molecular Systems Inc., of Branchburg New Jersey, in conducting trials to evaluate the company’s Zika blood screen test.

Study suggests that the risk of Zika virus transmission is particularly high in the southeast as well as in south Texas, where locally-acquired cases of Aedes-transmitted viruses have been reported previously.

The first case of sexually transmitted Zika infection in Canada was confirmed on April 25, 2016 by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, provides information healthcare practitioners should know about diagnosing a Zika virus infection, particularly as the virus moves in the United States.

On Friday, April 22, 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to set interim guidance for those working in the fields where exposure to the Zika virus is inevitable.

Rohit Bhalla, DO, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center of Princeton, explains why the Zika virus is “scarier than [the CDC] originally thought.”

Researchers find evidence to suggest virus strains in the most recent outbreak in the Americas evolved from an Asian lineage.

Researchers have revealed that the disease has been circulating in the region since at least January of 2015.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the first case of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in the continental United States is now inevitable. The virus already brings with it fears for pregnant women, and those women trying to become pregnant, but now, a Zika virus infection is likely a risk for all adults as the virus has been linked to yet another neurological disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that the Zika virus can be transmitted from an infected man to a sex partner through anal sex.

After meticulously analyzing existing evidence, CDC scientists concluded that not only does the Zika virus cause microcephaly, but it is also the culprit behind other serious, fatal brain defects.

During a recent press conference, representatives from the CDC and NIAID agreed that the more researchers uncover about Zika, the scarier the virus appears to be.

The Obama administration recently announced plans to shift nearly $600 million in funds designated to battle the Ebola epidemic toward the fight against Zika.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a Zika Action Plan Summit in Atlanta, Georgia today with the aims of preparing health officials of the possibility of local Zika transmission.

In the wake of a global Zika scare, and in light of the possibility of a Zika outbreak in the coming months, the FDA has allowed the use of an investigational test to screen blood donations for the Zika virus.

To help protect against the spread of Zika, it is imperative to take the necessary steps to minimize the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

At the moment, there have not yet been any locally transmitted Zika infections in the continental US, however, a recent study reports that this might change in the coming months.

Dorothy McCoy, PharmD, provides advice for healthcare practitioners on counseling patients who are pregnant about the Zika virus.

Dorothy McCoy, PharmD, shares information about Zika virus and sexual transmission.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD shares the types of mosquito repellents healthcare practitioners should be recommending to their patients to help ward off mosquitos.

Dorothy McCoy, PharmD, explains what healthcare providers should do if a patient presents to their practice with a suspected Zika infection.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD describes how pharmacists can aid in controlling the spread of the Zika virus.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD shares advice that should be provided to patients who are pregnant that come into the practice with questions about the Zika virus.

New Aedes aegypti mosquitos are being genetically engineered to fight the current Zika-spreading population.

Fear of a Zika epidemic in Puerto Rico lead the HHS to initiate the transportation of "safe blood" to the island on March 5, 2016, two days before the CDC Director, Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, arrived there to evaluate the CDC's support for Zika response and inform residents about prevention methods.

Dorothy McCoy, PharmD, answers the most common questions healthcare providers have about the Zika virus.

Jason C. Gallagher, PharmD explains how to address questions from patients and healthcare providers about Zika.

A lack of sufficient knowledge of the Zika virus necessitates efforts to expand our understanding of the virus itself, while at the same time developing effective countermeasures.