A student at William and Mary University in Virginia is the first college student in the U.S. to contract the Zika virus while travelling in Central America, university officials announced Monday.
This development comes the same day the World Health Organization declared an international emergency over the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, calling it an “extraordinary event.”
"There is no treatment," said Dr. Phil Brewer, the Medical Director for Quinnipiac University’s Student Health Services. "The only thing we can do is prevention by avoiding exposure to mosquitos."
QU has no plans to cancel any upcoming trips to regions with reported cases of the Zika Virus, QU spokesperson John Morgan said.
"I wouldn’t cancel a trip other than a woman who is pregnant or is trying to get pregnant, which excludes most college students," Dr. Brewer said.
Dr. Brewer pointed out only one in five people infected with the Zika virus becomes ill with flu-like symptoms.
The growing concern is the impact on pregnant women as health officials are investigating Zika’s link to a surge in the number of babies born with abnormally small heads in Brazil.
"Up to the discovery of these cases of microcephaly," Dr. Brewer said, "There really wasn’t any reason to develop a vaccine. Now there is."
For students planning trips to Central America or South America, such as for upcoming spring break community service trips, Dr. Brewer advises them to take precautions like wearing mosquito repellant.
The type of mosquito carrying the virus tends to bite both during the day and at night, so Dr. Brewer said students should, "sleep in quarters that have adequate barrier protection, either under mosquito net or an environment that’s air conditioned."
Last week Dr. Brewer sent an advisory email on the Zika virus to the QU community. He recommends anyone wanting to learn more to visit the CDC website.
