The Zika virus is spread primarily by the Aedes mosquito. Found predominantly in Asia and Africa, the Aedes mosquito has spread to other parts of the world where there are warm temperatures and prevalent bodies of water.

The Zika virus poses a great threat to pregnant women, due to its ability to spread to the fetus. There is no known cure and no vaccine to protect against the Zika virus.

The threat of Zika virus has qualified it as a growing epidemic threat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) now considers it an international health emergency, according to www.directrelief.org.

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It’s officially summer and now is the time to choose which vacation spots would make for the most fun and interesting trips.

Popular travel destinations such as Africa, Asia, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico and the Gulf states in the United States can be some of the riskiest areas to visit when it comes to potential to contract the Zika virus.

Found in many tropical regions worldwide that  have warm climates and are at lower levels of elevation, the Aedes aegypti mosquito carries the Zika virus.

Read the full article on Laurie’s column at LifeCycles in the Communities Digital News »

Delicious and beautiful blue-purple hued blueberries are one of America’s favorite fruits.

Pleasing to the palate and low in calories, blueberries are considered a springtime superfood

Along with only 84 calories per cup, a serving of blueberries contains 4 grams of fiber, 24 percent of the RDA for Vitamin C, 36 percent of the RDA for Vitamin K, and 25 percent of the RDA for manganese.

They may also provide significant protection from the damage caused by free radicals, and are considered to have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of all commonly known fruits and vegetables.

Read the full article on Laurie’s column at LifeCycles in the Communities Digital News »