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You should learn about Zika if you're pregnant and live in these states
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The Centers for Disease Control suspects 300 pregnant women in the US and its territories may have been infected with Zika. But most pregnant Americans shouldn't worry, unless they live in these high-risk states. - photo by Jennifer Graham
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring nearly 300 pregnant women in the U.S. and its territories who may be infected with the Zika virus. Most cases are in Puerto Rico, but pregnant women in high-risk states should take extra precautions as mosquito season approaches, health officials say.

As of May 12, the CDC knows of 157 women on the mainland and 122 in U.S. territories who are suspected of having the virus that can cause abnormally small heads and brain abnormalities in unborn babies. More than half of the women have one or more symptoms, which include fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis.

In a news conference Friday morning, health officials did not release their identities, but said most are thought to have contracted the virus while traveling and most are still pregnant. The Washington Post reported that fewer than a dozen U.S. women experienced "adverse outcomes. The CDC offered no specifics as to what those were, but said it would give more information in future briefings.

Zika, which is transmitted through mosquito bites, blood transfusions and sexual relations, is most dangerous to a developing fetus. Up to 80 percent of adults who contract it show no symptoms, and most of the others suffer only a fever, rash and headache. In some adults, however, it can cause Guillain-Barr syndrome, an immune-system disorder that can lead to paralysis and death.

Earlier this month, Puerto Rico's first Zika-related case of microcephaly in a fetus was reported. It's unknown whether the mother had a miscarriage or an abortion, the Post said.

In the general population, there have been 544 Zika cases reported on the U.S. mainland and more than 800 in U.S. territories. So far, none of the Zika cases in the U.S. have been blamed on mosquitoes, but the CDC is warning that could change as mosquitoes multiply in warming weather.

Some people, however, should be more worried than others.

In an NPR report, University of California-Davis epidemiologist Thomas Scott divided the U.S. into three zones: high risk, low risk and extremely low risk.

Most at risk are Florida, Texas and the Gulf states, where the most common carrier of the disease, the striped-legged mosquito Aedes aegypti, is abundant.

The Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic states have less to fear, and the northern half of the country (from northern New England to the Pacific Northwest) has hardly any risk at all, NPR said. (At least from getting Zika from a mosquito. It's possible to contract it through sex if your spouse has been traveling.)

But because the outcome of a Zika infection during pregnancy is potentially devastating, women who are pregnant or trying to conceive should begin to take precautions, particularly if they live in high-risk zones.

Wear insect repellant and clothing that covers your entire body, even if you're inside, NPR said.

"These are daytime biting mosquitoes, and they're mosquitoes that like to enter people's homes," Scott Weaver of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston told Michaeleen Doucleff of NPR.

NPR also advised pregnant women to keep their yards free of standing water, where mosquitoes breed, and to avoid traveling to high-risk zones over the summer.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.