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The Zika virus continues to perplex the medical community. We know the virus can live in blood, saliva and semen, now it appears capable of living in the vagina for weeks.
The Doctors discuss a troubling report from the Journal Emerging Infectious Diseases that found the virus was still present in one woman’s vagina weeks after her Zika symptoms cleared.
“This virus clearly likes to hang around for some time in various body cavities [and] body fluids,” ER physician Dr. Travis Stork says.
Watch: Are You Safe from the Zika Virus?
OB/GYN, Dr. Nita Landry notes, “We are not giving Zika virus the respect it deserves. This is going to have an impact on unborn babies. This virus is hanging around in semen, in blood and just hanging out in vaginas… this virus comes with risks for babies and also some risks that we maybe don’t even know about yet.”
Dr. Stork reminds us that while Zika may not seem like a sexually transmitted disease, if you are bitten by a mosquito which has virus, it then replicates and travels to other parts of the body and can be passed through sexual intercourse and body fluids.
“Just one more reason to practice safe sex. You need those condoms,” Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon states.
Watch: Zika Virus Might be Scarier than We Thought
A Doctors reminder, no vaccine exists to prevent Zika. The best way to prevent the virus is to limit your exposure to mosquito bites and avoid travel to areas heavily affected by Zika. Also, The Doctors remind everyone to practice safe sex with anyone who might have been exposed to Zika.
