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| Pregnant woman in Victoria diagnosed with Zika virus after overseas travel | |
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| A pregnant Victorian woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus after returning from overseas, Victoria’s health minister, Jill Hennessy, announced on Friday. | A pregnant Victorian woman has been diagnosed with the Zika virus after returning from overseas, Victoria’s health minister, Jill Hennessy, announced on Friday. |
| Hennessay declined to release the woman’s age, stage of pregnancy and the country she had travelled to, saying her privacy was paramount. | Hennessay declined to release the woman’s age, stage of pregnancy and the country she had travelled to, saying her privacy was paramount. |
| While Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitos, displays no symptoms in 80% of patients, there has been great concern in Central and South America that it is causing brain damage in the unborn babies of pregnant women, a condition called microcephaly. | While Zika virus, which is spread by mosquitos, displays no symptoms in 80% of patients, there has been great concern in Central and South America that it is causing brain damage in the unborn babies of pregnant women, a condition called microcephaly. |
| Hennessy said the diagnosis of the virus in the woman was “very concerning”. | Hennessy said the diagnosis of the virus in the woman was “very concerning”. |
| “That’s why the department is doing everything it can to help this woman and to ensure this woman receives support and that care is received.” | “That’s why the department is doing everything it can to help this woman and to ensure this woman receives support and that care is received.” |
| The acting chief health officer, Rosco Taylor, said the woman had suffered a fever and other symptoms which prompted her to get a blood test, which led to the diagnosis. | The acting chief health officer, Rosco Taylor, said the woman had suffered a fever and other symptoms which prompted her to get a blood test, which led to the diagnosis. |
| Taylor said the department was making the case public to highlight the potential risk to pregnant women thinking of travelling to countries where the virus is active. | Taylor said the department was making the case public to highlight the potential risk to pregnant women thinking of travelling to countries where the virus is active. |
| The affected woman would be monitored throughout her pregnancy through ultrasound scans, he said, which would help detect any abnormalities. | The affected woman would be monitored throughout her pregnancy through ultrasound scans, he said, which would help detect any abnormalities. |
| On Wednesday it was revealed a pregnant woman in Queensland had tested positive for the Zika virus, having recently returned from an overseas trip. | On Wednesday it was revealed a pregnant woman in Queensland had tested positive for the Zika virus, having recently returned from an overseas trip. |
| A child who had recently returned to Brisbane from a family trip to Samoa and a woman who was tested on the Gold Coast after a holiday in El Salvador have also been diagnosed with the virus in the past fortnight. | A child who had recently returned to Brisbane from a family trip to Samoa and a woman who was tested on the Gold Coast after a holiday in El Salvador have also been diagnosed with the virus in the past fortnight. |
| Taylor said the diagnoses did not necessarily mean Australian travellers were being more frequently infected, but rather the recent attention on the disease and its symptoms had likely led to more people being tested after returning overseas. | Taylor said the diagnoses did not necessarily mean Australian travellers were being more frequently infected, but rather the recent attention on the disease and its symptoms had likely led to more people being tested after returning overseas. |
| The Zika virus has been around for about 25 years, but it was not until it spread to Central and South America, Micronesia and French Polynesia that large outbreaks occurred. Researchers are unsure why the spread has been so rapid. | The Zika virus has been around for about 25 years, but it was not until it spread to Central and South America, Micronesia and French Polynesia that large outbreaks occurred. Researchers are unsure why the spread has been so rapid. |
| The evidence for a causal link between the virus and microcephaly is also not conclusive, but concern is great enough that the World Health Organisation last week declared the situation a global public health emergency. By doing so, researchers from around the world have been galvanised to more quickly establish if there is a casual link and, if there is, work on producing a vaccine. | The evidence for a causal link between the virus and microcephaly is also not conclusive, but concern is great enough that the World Health Organisation last week declared the situation a global public health emergency. By doing so, researchers from around the world have been galvanised to more quickly establish if there is a casual link and, if there is, work on producing a vaccine. |
| Dr Mike Catton, the deputy director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, said a comprehensive study published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week provided further evidence of the link between Zika virus and microcephaly. | Dr Mike Catton, the deputy director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, said a comprehensive study published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week provided further evidence of the link between Zika virus and microcephaly. |
| “The report describes the case of a pregnant European woman who returned to Slovenia in October 2015 after living in Brazil for close to two years,” he said. | “The report describes the case of a pregnant European woman who returned to Slovenia in October 2015 after living in Brazil for close to two years,” he said. |
| “Thirteen weeks into her pregnancy she fell ill with a high fever, muscle pain and a rash. At 29 weeks, foetal anomalies were observed and at 32 weeks, microcephaly was diagnosed and the pregnancy aborted. Subsequent tests found the Zika virus in the foetal brain tissue with no suspicion of genetic syndromes or disease. While further analysis and studies must be carried out, this report provides compelling evidence of the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly.” | “Thirteen weeks into her pregnancy she fell ill with a high fever, muscle pain and a rash. At 29 weeks, foetal anomalies were observed and at 32 weeks, microcephaly was diagnosed and the pregnancy aborted. Subsequent tests found the Zika virus in the foetal brain tissue with no suspicion of genetic syndromes or disease. While further analysis and studies must be carried out, this report provides compelling evidence of the link between the Zika virus and microcephaly.” |
| The virus does not exist in Australia, and is found here only when international visitors or Australians returning home from overseas are carrying it. For this reason, an outbreak in Australia is highly unlikely. It is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue and yellow fever. | The virus does not exist in Australia, and is found here only when international visitors or Australians returning home from overseas are carrying it. For this reason, an outbreak in Australia is highly unlikely. It is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue and yellow fever. |
| Because Australian health authorities have experience in managing dengue fever cases, which were often imported from people visiting or returning from overseas rather than arising locally, they have strong infection control procedures in place. | Because Australian health authorities have experience in managing dengue fever cases, which were often imported from people visiting or returning from overseas rather than arising locally, they have strong infection control procedures in place. |
| Last month, the Australian government issued a travel warning recommending that women who are pregnant or actively seeking to get pregnant postpone their travel to countries affected by the Zika outbreak. | Last month, the Australian government issued a travel warning recommending that women who are pregnant or actively seeking to get pregnant postpone their travel to countries affected by the Zika outbreak. |