3,893 cases have been reported since October
Brazil: The Zika virus has spread rapidly in the Latin American country of Brazil rapidly in the last few months, with the number of cases reported surging upwards from 3,500 to 3,893, as per the report published last week. A virus transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is also responsible for the transmission of the dengue and chikungunya virus, has led to more babies being born with abnormally sized heads, in which case, the mothers are infected by Zika.
The Health Ministry of Brazil has confirmed the death of five babies due to Zika, while another 44 cases are under inspection by doctors. However, there is no clear cure for Zika as of now—neither vaccinations nor medicines. Experts have suggested that until a cure is designed, the only way to curb the spread of the virus is to be careful about cleaning stagnant water, which is the breeding spot of mosquitoes. At the same time, the Health Minister, Marcelo Castro, has assured that a new identification kit was under development already, for quick diagnosis of the presence of any of the three existent Zika viruses. He has also allocated more state funds to the design of a reliable Zika vaccine ‘in record time’.
Meanwhile, the USA has issued an alert to any travellers to Brazil country about the virus, especially for pregnant mothers. Moreover, it has taken other Latin American countries into account as well, such as Colombia, where at least 13,500 cases have been registered. “We are the second country (in Latin America) after Brazil in the number of reported cases,” stated the Health Minister, Alejandro Gaviria.
In addition, the first Zika case was reported in Bolivia, that of a pregnant mother, who has supposedly caught the virus withing the country itself, for she hasn’t been travelling abroad, according to authorities. Hence, the alert, issued late on Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention applies to specific Latin American as well as Caribbean nations, including Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Source: BBC
Tags: Zika Zika virus
