West Virginia health officials are closely monitoring news about the Zika virus in the United States and abroad and have warned health care providers to be on the look out, state health officer Dr. Rahul Gupta said Thursday.
While the state has no known cases of the virus, the Bureau for Public Health on Thursday issued a health advisory to hospitals and health care providers, telling them that 19 other states have had imported cases of the virus.
The U.S. cases have been in returning travelers, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gupta said it's important to take the virus seriously. His office is working closely with the CDC and is monitoring for any local cases.
"This is not something to be panicked about," Gupta said, "but I think it's important to be aware about it."
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared that the Zika virus is "spreading explosively."
One WHO scientist said the Americas could see as many as 4 million cases of the virus next year.
The virus is spread by mosquitoes. There also are documented cases of the virus being spread sexually and from mother to baby, either during development or birth, Gupta said.
The virus has been connected to birth defects and neurological problems, including microcephaly, which causes a baby's head to be smaller than normal.
WHO director Dr. Margaret Chan said that although there is no definitive proof that the Zika virus was responsible for a spike in the number of babies being born with abnormally small heads in Brazil, "the level of alarm is extremely high."
Babies with microcephaly often have smaller brains that might not have developed properly, according to the CDC.
The CDC has warned pregnant women to consider delaying any travel to Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Martin and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Because Zika is spread by mosquitoes, those who do travel can protect themselves by covering exposed skin with long-sleeved shirts and pants, using insect repellents with DEET and sleeping in screened-in areas or air-conditioned rooms, according to the CDC.
Gupta said that, during the warmer months, Zika will be one more virus, along with West Nile and others, to talk about when it comes to avoiding mosquitoes and the conditions in which they multiply.
Mosquitoes typically lay eggs in standing water, like vases, buckets and animal water dishes.
About 80 percent of people who contract the virus experience no symptoms, Gupta said. Those who do have symptoms will have fever, joint pain, rash, conjunctivitis, headache and muscle pain within two to seven days of being bitten by an infected mosquito, Gupta said.
He said health officials are still years away from having a vaccine or treatment for the virus.
The virus doesn't cause hospitalization or death, he said.
Health-care providers who suspect a case of the virus should report it to their local health departments, according to the health advisory.
Health departments and the West Virginia Office of Laboratory Services will coordinate transmitting specimens to the CDC for testing.
Health care providers with questions can call the state Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology 24 hours a day at 800-423-1271. Ext. 1, or 304-558-5358, Ext. 1, Gupta said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LorikerseyWV on Twitter.