Zika alert, Prof. Chirianni: “The virus can also be transmitted sexually”

Prof. Antonio Chirianni, president of Simit (Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases), spoke at the microphones of the program "Genetics Today," hosted by Andrea Lupoli on Radio Cusano Campus, a station of Niccolò Cusano University (www.unicusan.it) , regarding the Zika virus, spread by the Aedes Egypti mosquito.

"It is a virus that is spreading in an extraordinarily effective way, mainly in Central and South America -explained Chirianni-. Although it is a virus in itself not very dangerous, of concern is the fact that it would also appear to cause some changes in infants. The virus has been known since '49 isolated in Uganda, but the spread to Brazil has been there in the past 2 years. In Brazil there were 1.5 million cases last year and in parallel 3200 babies born with microcephaly, the year before there were less than 200, it is not yet known if it is due to the virus. As the WHO has done, I would advise against pregnant women traveling to Latin America at this time. In some cases there are no symptoms, in other cases there are flu-like symptoms, very undifferentiated, which can be traced to different diseases. A person should be alarmed if they have recently returned from high pandemic countries. It is currently established that one becomes infected through the bite of the Aedes mosquito, but the WHO has revealed that the Zika virus has been isolated in human semen. So there is a possibility that the infection can also be transmitted sexually. It is an avenue to consider, although not yet established.".