35,000 suspected cases of Zika fever reported in French Polynesia
In a follow-up to a story from late November, according to the latest numbers from the French Polynesia Department of Health as of December 3, there has been 99 laboratory confirmed cases and 35,000 suspected cases of Zika fever reported. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.
Zika fever is an illness caused by a virus that spread through mosquito bites.
It is a flavivirus related to yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Japanese encephalitis viruses; however, Zika virus (ZIKV) produces a comparatively mild disease in humans. It was first isolated from an infected rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest of Uganda in 1947.
Symptoms of Zika fever may include fever, headache, red eyes, rash, muscle aches, and joint pains. The illness is usually mild and lasts 4-7 days.
Some experts note that because the virus has spread outside Africa and Asia, ZIKV should be considered an emerging pathogen.
ZIKV illness to date has been mild and self-limited, but before West Nile virus caused large outbreaks of neuroinvasive disease in Romania and in North America, it was also considered to be a relatively innocuous pathogen, some experts warn.
There is currently no vaccine or medicine to prevent Zika fever. Travelers can protect themselves by preventing mosquito bites.
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