User login
Photo by Nina Matthews
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated some of its recommendations regarding the Zika virus.
The agency issued an updated interim guidance for healthcare providers caring for pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus and an updated interim guidance on preventing sexual transmission of the virus.
The CDC issued these updates based on the accumulating evidence, expert opinion, and knowledge about the risk associated with other viral infections. The CDC said it will continue to make updates as new information becomes available.
Guidance for pregnant women
This updated guidance expands the timeframe during which pregnant women can be tested for Zika virus—with an rRT-PCR test—from 7 days to 14 days after symptoms start. The CDC said this expansion will provide a definite diagnosis for more pregnant women infected with the Zika virus.
Scientists previously thought the virus stays in the blood for about a week after symptoms start. So the first week of illness was thought to be the best time to find evidence of the virus in blood using a Zika-specific test (rRT-PCR).
For patients who visited a healthcare provider more than a week after symptoms started and those who were possibly exposed to Zika but never developed symptoms, healthcare providers could perform Zika virus IgM testing. However, this test might not provide a definite diagnosis, as it can also detect related viruses.
New information has indicated that some infected pregnant women can have evidence of the Zika virus in their blood for longer than 7 days after symptoms begin, and even pregnant women without symptoms can have evidence of the virus in their blood and urine.
Therefore, the updated guidance expands the use of Zika-specific blood testing for a longer period, up to 14 days, in pregnant women with symptoms and advises that pregnant women with possible Zika exposure but no symptoms receive this testing as well.
In addition, if pregnant women visit their healthcare provider after the 14-day testing window and test positive with the IgM test, rRT-PCR testing can now be offered to potentially provide a definite diagnosis.
The CDC’s new guidance also includes recommendations to help healthcare providers better care for their pregnant patients with confirmed or possible Zika infection.
Guidance for sexual transmission
This updated guidance is based on a recently reported case of female-to-male sexual transmission of the Zika virus in New York City and limited human and non-human primate data indicating that Zika virus RNA can be detected in vaginal secretions.
The guidance expands the CDC’s definition of sexual exposure to Zika to include sex without a barrier method (including male or female condoms, among other methods) with any person—male or female—who has traveled to or lives in an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The updated recommendations for pregnant couples include pregnant women with female sex partners who are potentially infected with Zika. The recommendations also provide advice for potentially infected women on how to reduce their risk of sexually transmitting the virus to partners.
Specifically, the CDC recommends that all pregnant women with sex partners who live in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission use condoms during sex or abstain from sex for the remainder of their pregnancy.
All other couples in which a partner has been in an area with active Zika virus transmission can also reduce the risk of sexual transmission by using condoms or abstaining from sex. Sex includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and may also include the sharing of sex toys.
Healthcare providers should test all pregnant women who may have been exposed to Zika sexually. Providers should also test patients if they develop symptoms of the Zika virus and report potential sexual exposure to a partner who lives in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The CDC encourages local and state health departments to report potential cases of sexually transmitted Zika virus infection. 
Photo by Nina Matthews
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated some of its recommendations regarding the Zika virus.
The agency issued an updated interim guidance for healthcare providers caring for pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus and an updated interim guidance on preventing sexual transmission of the virus.
The CDC issued these updates based on the accumulating evidence, expert opinion, and knowledge about the risk associated with other viral infections. The CDC said it will continue to make updates as new information becomes available.
Guidance for pregnant women
This updated guidance expands the timeframe during which pregnant women can be tested for Zika virus—with an rRT-PCR test—from 7 days to 14 days after symptoms start. The CDC said this expansion will provide a definite diagnosis for more pregnant women infected with the Zika virus.
Scientists previously thought the virus stays in the blood for about a week after symptoms start. So the first week of illness was thought to be the best time to find evidence of the virus in blood using a Zika-specific test (rRT-PCR).
For patients who visited a healthcare provider more than a week after symptoms started and those who were possibly exposed to Zika but never developed symptoms, healthcare providers could perform Zika virus IgM testing. However, this test might not provide a definite diagnosis, as it can also detect related viruses.
New information has indicated that some infected pregnant women can have evidence of the Zika virus in their blood for longer than 7 days after symptoms begin, and even pregnant women without symptoms can have evidence of the virus in their blood and urine.
Therefore, the updated guidance expands the use of Zika-specific blood testing for a longer period, up to 14 days, in pregnant women with symptoms and advises that pregnant women with possible Zika exposure but no symptoms receive this testing as well.
In addition, if pregnant women visit their healthcare provider after the 14-day testing window and test positive with the IgM test, rRT-PCR testing can now be offered to potentially provide a definite diagnosis.
The CDC’s new guidance also includes recommendations to help healthcare providers better care for their pregnant patients with confirmed or possible Zika infection.
Guidance for sexual transmission
This updated guidance is based on a recently reported case of female-to-male sexual transmission of the Zika virus in New York City and limited human and non-human primate data indicating that Zika virus RNA can be detected in vaginal secretions.
The guidance expands the CDC’s definition of sexual exposure to Zika to include sex without a barrier method (including male or female condoms, among other methods) with any person—male or female—who has traveled to or lives in an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The updated recommendations for pregnant couples include pregnant women with female sex partners who are potentially infected with Zika. The recommendations also provide advice for potentially infected women on how to reduce their risk of sexually transmitting the virus to partners.
Specifically, the CDC recommends that all pregnant women with sex partners who live in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission use condoms during sex or abstain from sex for the remainder of their pregnancy.
All other couples in which a partner has been in an area with active Zika virus transmission can also reduce the risk of sexual transmission by using condoms or abstaining from sex. Sex includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and may also include the sharing of sex toys.
Healthcare providers should test all pregnant women who may have been exposed to Zika sexually. Providers should also test patients if they develop symptoms of the Zika virus and report potential sexual exposure to a partner who lives in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The CDC encourages local and state health departments to report potential cases of sexually transmitted Zika virus infection.
Photo by Nina Matthews
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated some of its recommendations regarding the Zika virus.
The agency issued an updated interim guidance for healthcare providers caring for pregnant women with possible exposure to Zika virus and an updated interim guidance on preventing sexual transmission of the virus.
The CDC issued these updates based on the accumulating evidence, expert opinion, and knowledge about the risk associated with other viral infections. The CDC said it will continue to make updates as new information becomes available.
Guidance for pregnant women
This updated guidance expands the timeframe during which pregnant women can be tested for Zika virus—with an rRT-PCR test—from 7 days to 14 days after symptoms start. The CDC said this expansion will provide a definite diagnosis for more pregnant women infected with the Zika virus.
Scientists previously thought the virus stays in the blood for about a week after symptoms start. So the first week of illness was thought to be the best time to find evidence of the virus in blood using a Zika-specific test (rRT-PCR).
For patients who visited a healthcare provider more than a week after symptoms started and those who were possibly exposed to Zika but never developed symptoms, healthcare providers could perform Zika virus IgM testing. However, this test might not provide a definite diagnosis, as it can also detect related viruses.
New information has indicated that some infected pregnant women can have evidence of the Zika virus in their blood for longer than 7 days after symptoms begin, and even pregnant women without symptoms can have evidence of the virus in their blood and urine.
Therefore, the updated guidance expands the use of Zika-specific blood testing for a longer period, up to 14 days, in pregnant women with symptoms and advises that pregnant women with possible Zika exposure but no symptoms receive this testing as well.
In addition, if pregnant women visit their healthcare provider after the 14-day testing window and test positive with the IgM test, rRT-PCR testing can now be offered to potentially provide a definite diagnosis.
The CDC’s new guidance also includes recommendations to help healthcare providers better care for their pregnant patients with confirmed or possible Zika infection.
Guidance for sexual transmission
This updated guidance is based on a recently reported case of female-to-male sexual transmission of the Zika virus in New York City and limited human and non-human primate data indicating that Zika virus RNA can be detected in vaginal secretions.
The guidance expands the CDC’s definition of sexual exposure to Zika to include sex without a barrier method (including male or female condoms, among other methods) with any person—male or female—who has traveled to or lives in an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The updated recommendations for pregnant couples include pregnant women with female sex partners who are potentially infected with Zika. The recommendations also provide advice for potentially infected women on how to reduce their risk of sexually transmitting the virus to partners.
Specifically, the CDC recommends that all pregnant women with sex partners who live in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission use condoms during sex or abstain from sex for the remainder of their pregnancy.
All other couples in which a partner has been in an area with active Zika virus transmission can also reduce the risk of sexual transmission by using condoms or abstaining from sex. Sex includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and may also include the sharing of sex toys.
Healthcare providers should test all pregnant women who may have been exposed to Zika sexually. Providers should also test patients if they develop symptoms of the Zika virus and report potential sexual exposure to a partner who lives in or traveled to an area with active Zika virus transmission.
The CDC encourages local and state health departments to report potential cases of sexually transmitted Zika virus infection.