AMERICA - One year of zika in Latin America

Monday, 9 May 2016 healthcare  

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Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) - Since its discovery in Uganda in 1947, the Zika virus had never left Africa until 2007 when 185 suspected cases in Micronesia, in the Pacific were registered.
Over the past seven years a few cases of the virus have been diagnosed in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Easter Island (Chile) and Cook Islands.
Since 7 May 2015 Zika virus began to spread in 42 countries. In Brazil, the epicenter, 1,168 cases of microcephaly in infants were confirmed, although suspicions talk about 7,150. In addition, 246 deaths have been reported in abortions or immediately after birth due to brain damage. In February 2015, a group of doctors in the Northeast of Brazil began to locate a number of patients with flu-like symptoms, with fever, malaise and rash. In late March, the number of infections exceeded 7000 due to the Zika virus. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 09/05/2016)


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