He suggested pregnant women avoid kissing people other than a regular partner or sharing cutlery, glasses and plates with people who have symptoms of the virus.
The announcement coincided with the start of Carnival, a five-day bacchanalia in which millions of people take part in alcohol-fuelled parties where kissing as many people as possible is a top pastime. Gadelha underscored that the discovery needn't alter Carnival plans for anyone but pregnant women.
He also stressed that the Aedes aegpyti mosquito, which spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever as well as Zika, remains the virus' main vector and said the fight against the mosquito should be a top priority.
Myrna Bonaldo, who headed the Fiocruz team behind the discovery of the virus in body fluids, said she was particularly surprised the virus was found in urine because Zika is generally thought not to thrive in acidic mediums.
"Each discovery is a surprise and a new find for us," she said. "For us scientists, it's extremely challenging to understand Zika virus."
Meanwhile, in Geneva, spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was asking governments in Zika-affected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to repeal any policies that restrict access to sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.
The National Conference of Bishops in Brazil, however, said that the World Health Organisation's declaration this week that Zika was an international emergency didn't justify abortion.
Meanwhile, after the discovery of a sexually transmitted case of Zika, US health officials said men who have visited an area with Zika should use condoms if they have sex with a pregnant woman.
- AP, AAP
