Zika virus has killed a man in Puerto Rico. The man, in his 70s, is the first reported U.S. death from the virus, which is spreading across the Americas.
Zika is not usually thought of as a life-threatening virus. Here are some answers to questions about how Zika affects people:
Is Zika a killer virus?
No one thought so until recently. Zika was mostly known for causing almost no symptoms at all in most people who get it. At worst, it usually causes rashes, headache, maybe a fever and maybe muscle aches and, sometimes, conjunctivitis.
But as the virus infects hundreds of thousands of people all at once, it's causing a range of symptoms never seen before. The most frightening are severe and even catastrophic birth defects, mostly affecting the brain. Some of these have resulted in miscarriages, and some of the babies have died soon after birth.
Brazil and Colombia have each reported a handful of deaths in adults who had Zika. Colombia said three people died with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can be caused by Zika, in February.....To Read More.....
Zika is not usually thought of as a life-threatening virus. Here are some answers to questions about how Zika affects people:
Is Zika a killer virus?
No one thought so until recently. Zika was mostly known for causing almost no symptoms at all in most people who get it. At worst, it usually causes rashes, headache, maybe a fever and maybe muscle aches and, sometimes, conjunctivitis.
But as the virus infects hundreds of thousands of people all at once, it's causing a range of symptoms never seen before. The most frightening are severe and even catastrophic birth defects, mostly affecting the brain. Some of these have resulted in miscarriages, and some of the babies have died soon after birth.
Brazil and Colombia have each reported a handful of deaths in adults who had Zika. Colombia said three people died with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can be caused by Zika, in February.....To Read More.....
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