Nearly 72,000 cases of Zika have been reported in Colombia since October, with almost 13,000 occurring in pregnant women.
A worker of the Ministry of Public Health and Population fumigates in a
backyard against mosquito breeding to prevent diseases such as malaria,
dengue and Zika, during a fumigation campaign in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(Photo: REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares)
BOGOTA: Nearly 72,000 cases of Zika have been reported in
Colombia since October, with almost 13,000 occurring in pregnant women,
although the country is going through a decline in outbreaks, health
authorities said Saturday (Apr 24).
Additionally, four cases of microcephaly, the rare but
irreversible condition in which babies are born with small heads and
damaged brains, have been associated with the virus in the country,
Colombia's National Health Institute (INS) reported.
Another 22 cases of potential microcephaly are under
investigation, according to the INS, which estimated that some 300
instances of cranial malformation are likely in babies by September, a
smaller number than initially predicted.
Earlier this month, US health authorities confirmed that
Zika causes microcephaly and other severe fetal brain defects, after
months of debate and uncertainty. Since the beginning of the epidemic in
October, a total of 3,292 cases have been confirmed by laboratories and
68,660 suspected cases have been documented.
In pregnant women, a total of 1,703 cases have been
confirmed while another 11,099 cases have been noted by health
officials. While Colombia had originally estimated the number of Zika
cases could triple through the end of June, the government emphasized
that the epidemic was "dropping precipitously" for the time, and faster
than predicted.
From Apr 10 to 16, a total of 3,322 suspected Zika cases
were reported in Colombia, but none were confirmed by a laboratory,
according to the latest INS bulletin. Mosquito-borne Zika is present in
130 countries and recent studies have shown it can also be transmitted
sexually between human carriers.
Since the beginning of the epidemic in October, a total of
462 cases of neurological disorders have arisen in Colombia with
possible ties to Zika.
Of these, 304 are cases of Guillain-Barre, a rare condition
suspected of being linked to Zika, in which the body's immune system
attacks a part of the nervous system that controls muscle strength.
There are currently no vaccines or treatments for Zika.
According to the World Health Organization, at least a dozen
laboratories and government agencies around the world are working on a
vaccine, but bringing it to market could take years.
- AFP/rw
Post a Comment