Washington – Newly released interim guidance from OSHA and NIOSH urges employers to train employees on the risks of exposure to the Zika virus and outlines protective measures.

It is called Zika Virus Infection. It was discovered in Uganda and has since spread across Asia, across the Pacific Ocean, affecting 75 per cent of the population of an island in Micronesia and now it is ravaging Latin America. The first case in the United States of America was discovered recently. Possible links with microcephaly in Brazil and increased incidence of the serious Guillain-Barré syndrome are being monitored by scientists. The first case of Zika Virus Infection was confirmed on December 31, 2015 in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, unincorporated territory of the United States of America. The patient did not have a history of travel outside his native island three months before the onset of illness, leading scientists to conclude that the virus has spread to Puerto Rico and was contracted there. Worrying manifestations of the disease and other developments are being observed in Brazil, where there have been 3.174 cases of microcephaly, and 38 deaths, across 684 municipalities and 21 federal units. The link between pregnant mothers being infected with Zika Virus and their babies developing microcephaly is being investigated - the WHO is sharing information with member states of PAHO and is advising them to be on the alert for similar cases.

[Daily Maverick] Next week, residents of Klawer will go to the polls in a by-election in the Matzikama Municipality. While campaigning is in full swing, the area is now gripped by an ongoing water supply issue as well as an embarrassing forensic investigation which showed the irregular appointment of the DA deputy mayor's son.

Investování je umění kombinovat znalosti, strategii a intuici, abychom dosáhli zisku. Každé investiční rozhodnutí však nese riziko a jeho řízení je klíčovým prvkem pro dlouhodobý úspěch na trhu. Zejména v době zvýšené volatility, kdy jsou finanční trhy náchylné k náhlým výkyvům, je schopnost řídit riziko prioritou. Dokonce i zkušení investoři mohou čelit výzvám, které mohou negativně ovlivnit jejich portfolia, pokud nevyužijí správné techniky ochrany kapitálu.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic flavivirus that causes several diseases including birth defects such as microcephaly. Intrinsic immunity is known to be a frontline defense against viruses through host anti-viral restriction factors. Limited knowledge is available on intrinsic immunity against ZIKV in brains. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is predominantly expressed in brains and implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's diseases. We have found that ZIKV interacts with APP, and viral infection increases APP expression via enhancing protein stability. Moreover, we identified the viral peptide, HGSQHSGMIVNDTGHETDENRAKVEITPNSPRAEATLGGFGSLGL, which is capable of en-hancing APP expression. We observed that aging brain tissues with APP had protective effects on ZIKV infection by reducing the availability of the viruses. Also, knockdown of APP expression or blocking ZIKV-APP interactions enhanced ZIKV replication in human neural progenitor/stem cells. Finally, intracranial infection of ZIKV in APP-null neonatal mice resulted in higher mortality and viral yields. Taken together, these findings suggest that APP is a restriction factor that protects against ZIKV by serving as a decoy receptor, and plays a protective role in ZIKV-mediated brain injuries.

Title: CDC Advises Pregnant Women to Avoid Miami Beach Due to Zika
Category: Health News
Created: 8/19/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Five Local Zika Cases Reported in Miami Beach
Category: Health News
Created: 8/19/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/22/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Five More Cases of Local Zika Infection Reported in Florida
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Scans Show Range of Zika-Linked Infant Brain Defects
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Zika May Persist for Months in Newborns, Study Shows
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Animal Research Yields Clues to Sexual Spread of Zika
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: New Case of Local Zika Infection Reported in Florida
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2016 12:00:00 AM

Novel device developed can be clipped onto a smartphone to rapidly test for Zika virus in a single droplet of blood, reveal researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Individuals with a prior medlinkZika infection/medlink faced a 2.34 times increased risk of severe dengue and a 3.39 times higher likelihood of hospitalization

VESTA insecticide paint, applied to homes in vulnerable neighborhoods, kills iAedes aegypti/i mosquitos by 98% for at least a year, offering a potential

medlinkZika virus/medlink (mosquito-borne disease) that infected five people in Maharashtra's Pune was found to be asymptomatic and resembles medlinkdengue fever/medlink, said health experts.

Combination of two deadly mosquito-borne viruses may trigger a stroke, according to a new research study. The study is published in the iThe Lancet Neurology.

Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced the country's first medlinkZika virus/medlink case since 2016, as stated in a press release. The

The Centre has developed an action plan to manage medlinkZika Virus/medlink (!--ref1--) disease, with the total number of cases reaching 537 as of July 22.

Maternal medlinkZika virus/medlink infections can alter fetal immune development, resulting in long-term effects on children's immunity (!--ref1--).

As a precautionary measure, health authorities visited the area where the person lives and carried out surveillance and tracking exercises; however no person in the area showed any symptoms of Zika infection, a statement from the government said

New research provides the first direct evidence that Zika virus causes severe birth defects, and explains exactly how it does so

“I lifted up my T-shirt to check on what I thought had just been a small heat rash,” writes BuzzFeed correspondent Ali Watkins. “It had shown up along the right of my back, extending out from a handful of mosquito bites I had picked up… it had seemed relatively tame [but] now, it was inching across the front of my stomach and down my legs... Meanwhile, my right eye was inflamed and bright red, almost akin to a busted blood vessel.”

Watkins is describing the symptoms of a Zika virus infection that she contracted on a recent trip to Mexico. For many people, infection with this mosquito-borne virus causes an illness with symptoms just like those experienced by Watkins: fever, skin rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. For others, these symptoms are so mild that they go completely unnoticed.

Related: Zika virus spreads across Americas - in pictures

Related: Zika forest: birthplace of virus that has spread fear across the world

The virus, linked to cases of the microcephaly birth defect, has spread in Latin America and the Caribbean, leading athletes to consider whether to attend the Games.

As the Zika virus is rapidly taking hold around the world, health officials are racing to find its cause and prevent further spread of the […]

The post Smithsonian’s mosquito collection is weapon in battle against Zika appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

A team of researchers from Florida State University, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health has found existing drug compounds that can both stop Zika from replicating in the body and from damaging the crucial fetal brain cells that lead to birth defects in newborns.

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Parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific region may be vulnerable to outbreaks of the Zika virus, including some of the world's most populous countries and many with limited resources to identify and respond to the mosquito-borne disease, a new study says.

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For the first time, abnormal brain development following a Zika infection during pregnancy has been documented experimentally in the offspring of a non-human primate.

read more

The mosquitoes that transmit Zika virus are wily, but if you understand their biology, it is possible to keep them in check.

A once-'mild' virus found in Africa 70 years ago is now running wild. Here's everything you need to know.

“If you divorce economy from ecology then you end up crumbling the mechanisms by which the forest has typically been able to keep the worst of the pathogens from emerging beyond merely hitting a village or two.” -Rob Wallace In this edition of The Secret Ingredient Weekend, Raj Patel, Tom Philpott and Rebecca McInroy summarize...

The Miami Beach danger zone for mosquitoes carrying Zika virus is expanding. This isn't just about microcephaly in developing fetuses. Since Zika attacks neural progenitor cells it might cause lasting damage in adults too. A case of acute sensory polyneuropathy in an adult caused symptoms that lasted for months. It is suspected that Zika causes inflammation of sensory nerves and possibly an auto-immune response. So Zika is bad. What should we do about it? Wipe out the mosquitoes that carry it. Totally drive them to extinction. These mosquitoes are invasive in the Western Hemisphere. If a mosquito causes major health problems for the human species we should just wipe it out. Wiping out a mosquito species could be done with...

1. Muzikanten brengen ultiem eerbetoon aan alle 'heroes' vanop het dak van het Jessa Ziekenhuis  Het Laatste Nieuws
2. Flip Kowlier en Isolde Lasoen filmen cover van Heroes op dak van Jessa  Het Belang van Limburg
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The virus simmered quietly in Cuba for about a year before infecting thousands.

“Juliet”, a woman living in London, was diagnosed with a mysterious illness in November 2015, Ian Cropley, a consultant in infectious disease from The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, was there to investigate. In this podcast, we find out how Zika, once a little known virus causing a rash and fever, has subsequently become a global health...

In February World Health Organization (WHO) declared the microcephaly epidemic in South America an international public health emergency. Today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC, has confirmed that it’s is Zika virus which is causing that microcephaly.  The outbreak was originally spotted in Recife, in Brazil, and it’s...

Interviews from the Women deliver conference in Copenhagen. Donna McCarraher, director of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health at FHI 360, explains why women should be at the centre of efforts to mitigate the effect of Zika Virus in Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Apr 20, 2020 / 09:25 am (CNA).- On Friday, Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court will hold a virtual hearing to consider whether to decriminalize abortion for pregnant women infected with the Zika virus.

The legal intervention, called “Direct Action on Unconstitutionality-ADI 5581,” was filed with Brazil’s highest court by the National Association of Public Defenders. Supreme Court Justice Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha will present the legal action to the court, whose 11 members will have until April 30 to vote on the issue.

Several pro-life organizations have come out strongly against efforts to expand abortion, which is illegal in Brazil but is considered a “non-punishable crime” in cases of rape, a proven risk to life of the mother and, as of 2012, babies diagnosed with anencephaly.

“It’s a usurpation of powers because the Supreme Court does not have competency to rule on this matter,” said jurist José Miranda de Siqueira, president of the National Association of Citizens for Life. “This is a crime against the Federal Constitution of Brazil which in Article V guarantees the inviolability of the right to life.”

“We’re working with the Union of Catholic Jurists of Rio de Janeiro and will soon issue a strong statement on the issue,” continued Miranda, who is also a bioethics professor and authored a book on euthanasia, “O Poder sobre a Vida” (The Power over Life), which specifically addresses ADI 5581.

“Life is a preeminent right in the legal world. I’m asking people to pray and publicize this serious situation which is going on,” the lawyer added.

In an open letter to all Brazilians, the National Network for the Defense of Life and Family argued that the court challenge is “part of a strategy to introduce abortion in case of disabilities in general, or even abortion on demand, with the weak justification that the pregnant woman would be in a state of distress.”

“Eugenic abortion carries an enormous burden of prejudice and discrimination towards people with disabilities, sending an unseemly message that it would be better if they did not exist,” the pro-life organization added.

The Zika virus garnered international attention in 2015 after areas of Brazil noted a spike in cases of the birth defect microcephaly – a condition marked by abnormally small heads, brains, and developmental delays – following a recent outbreak of the virus in areas of northeastern Brazil.

Research on the virus suggested a link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and severe neurological birth defects, including microcephaly and incomplete brain development.

A CitizenGo petition addressed to the Supreme Court justices called for the case to be removed from the docket and for the lives of the unborn to be respected. The petition was launched April 16. Within 24 hours, it had garnered 35,000 signatures and as of April 20 has 85,000.
 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Apr 27, 2020 / 04:35 pm (CNA).- A majority of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal has voted against an intervention seeking to decriminalize abortion for expectant mothers diagnosed with the Zika virus.

The judges convened a virtual plenary session April 24 to hear arguments for and against the “Direct Action on Unconstitutionality-ADI 5581,” a legal intervention filed with the court by the National Association of Public Defenders.

While the court has until April 30 to vote on the matter, 7 of its 11 members have already voted in opposition, effectively rejecting the measure.

Abortion is illegal in Brazil but previous Supreme Court rulings have declared it a “non-punishable crime” in cases of rape, a proven risk to life of the mother and, as of 2012, babies diagnosed with anencephaly.

The Zika virus garnered international attention in 2015 after areas of Brazil noted a spike in cases of the birth defect microcephaly – a condition marked by abnormally small heads, brains, and developmental delays – following a recent outbreak of the virus in areas of northeastern Brazil.

Research on the virus suggested a link between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and severe neurological birth defects, including microcephaly and incomplete brain development.

However, some experts criticized what they described as technical and scientific flaws of the premise behind ADI 5581.
The Union of Catholic Jurists of Rio de Janeiro issued an official statement arguing that a causal relationship was never established between Zika virus and the microcephaly outbreak that occurred in Brazil.

Raphael Câmara, an obstetrician at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said that when an attempt was made in 2016 to allow abortion in Zika cases, little was known about the virus.

“Since then, we have answers to many of the issues raised in ADI-5581 in support of allowing abortion,” Câmara said. “The first fact is that recent studies show that fetuses of infected mothers are affected only 5 to 14% of the time, with the majority having mild problems, as shown by research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

“In addition, a study recently released by the CDC showed that 73% of Brazilian labs have a low accuracy rate for diagnosing the Zika virus, so the request is meaningless because we cannot talk about someone 'infected with Zika', but rather 'maybe infected by Zika.’ Is it based on this inaccuracy that we will kill fetuses?” the obstetrician continued.

Ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, pro-life groups in Brazil had spoken out against efforts to expand abortion in the country. A CitizenGo petition against the legal action drew more than 184,000 online signatures.

The Brazilian Bishops’ Conference had also opposed the attempt, calling on Catholics to defend life and oppose abortion. The conference wrote an open letter and also wrote privately to the Supreme Court, reiterating the duty to value the inviolable gift of life.

In 2017, the conference stated, “It does not belong to any public authority to selectively recognize the right to life or who will live or die. This discrimination is evil and exclusionary.”

 

This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Digital. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, says all of the Zika infections in the United States were contracted outside the country. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)

Title: Businesses Should Be Mindful of Zika Danger to Workers, CDC Says
Category: Health News
Created: 4/22/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 4/25/2016 12:00:00 AM