As the entire world is alarmed with the spread of zika virus, health officials are coming up with suggestion to stop the spread of the disease, they warned expecting mothers to think twice before kissing someone. The health officials have also urged men to use condoms with pregnant partners if they doubt they can be in any way exposed to the zika virus.
UN officials also suggested Catholic-majority countries in Latin America to permit women to undergo abortion if they fear that the growing fetus is at risk of microcephaly, a disease that causes new born babies to have small head and underdeveloped brain.
According to ABC news, the National Conference of Bishops in Brazil, is not intending to loosen abortion laws as they stated that the World Health Organization's declaration earlier this week that Zika was an international emergency didn't justify abortion.
The recommendation was put forth as scientists have found zika virus in saliva and urine and earlier reports also suggested that zika can spread through sex.
Paulo Gadhela, president of the Fiocruz research institute, in a press conference urged women to avoid kissing people or share cutlery and dishes, and glass as it might put them at higher risk of getting the infection.
Friday's announcement was in accordance with the start of Carnival, a five-day bacchanalia that brings millions of people together participate in alcohol-fueled parties where kissing as many people as possible is a top pastime. Gadelha stressed on the point that this alarm will not alter the plans for carnival and holds good only for expecting mothers.
The scientists from Fiocruz institute studied samples from two patients who had symptoms of zika and also tested positive for the illness.
The culture results showed that virus in the samples could damage cells which indicated that the Zika virus was active.
Myrna Bonaldo, the main scientists of the research team, said that they were shocked to find Zika virus in urine samples as they were not expecting the virus to thrive in acidic medium.
All the suggestions provided by the Health officials is a step toward prevention of the disease as the mosquito-borne virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas.