Zika Arrives in NYC

New York travelers are bringing back an unwanted guest, the Zika virus. Over 100 individuals have been reported by health officials to have travel-related Zika cases.

As of July 28, 2017, the NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene has reported Zika virus cases in the Bronx (31), Brooklyn (22), Manhattan (29), Queens (17) and Staten Island (1).

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if you travel to a known area with active Zika virus, you could have become infected and not know it.

Moreover, you could spread the virus in your community upon your return.

More than 33% of these Zika cases are linked to travel to the Dominican Republic, followed by Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and Honduras. Before traveling, health officals suggest checking to see if your destination is on the CDC list of areas with Zika.

Nearly 90% of the Zika cases in NYC are reported to be women.

The CDC has updated their guidance to health providers, recommending all pregnant women in the US should be screened for possible Zika exposure and symptoms at each prenatal care visit.

The update focuses on one of the most frequently used Zika tests which detects immunoglobulin B (IgM) antibodies and is more likely to yield a false positive test result.

Most people infected with Zika do not experience symptoms or will only have mild effects, according to the CDC.

Additionally, outbreaks of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses are taking place in several countries in the Caribbean, Central and Latin America.

The simultaneous spreading of these three arboviruses raises the possibility of co-infections in people, according to the World Health Organization.