CHAPEL HILL, NC – Do you have questions about the Zika virus and how it spreads? If you're traveling this holiday season, do you know how to protect yourself from Zika? Do you have questions about Zika and pregnancy? Do you know all the ways the virus can be transmitted? What about the likelihood of a Zika epidemic here in North Carolina?
With more than 4,175 cases of Zika reported in the U.S. and another 31,198 reported in U.S. territories as of Nov. 11, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns people not to be complacent when it comes to protecting one's self from the virus, especially for those who are traveling this holiday season and for women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy.
Those who would like to learn more about the virus and its transmission are invited to attend "Unraveling Zika," an expert panel discussion and Q&A from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, in the Nelson Mandela Auditorium of the UNC Fed Ex Global Education Center, 301 Pittsboro St., in Chapel Hill.
Claire Farel, MD, MPH, Medical Director of the UNC Infectious Diseases Clinic, will serve as moderator. Panelists include Helen Lazear, PhD, assistant professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Elizabeth Stringer, MD, associate professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and Anne Lyerly, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist and bioethicist
Women who are pregnant or who are planning a future pregnancy are the most vulnerable population at risk for Zika exposure. While Zika's effects are mild for most adults and non-infant children, if a woman is infected while pregnant, the virus can have devastating effects on the fetus. According to the Nov. 11 CDC statistics, there were 1,057 pregnant women in the continental U.S. and another 2,357 in U.S. territories who "reported any lab evidence of Zika virus infection."
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Click here for information about directions and parking.
To submit a question you'd like to ask the panel, please email Caroline Curran at [email protected].
Media Contact
Caroline Curran
[email protected]
984-974-1146
@UNC_Health_Care
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Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag
