Over 3,000 Colombian Women Infected With Zika Virus
KABUL: (MEP) The president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday that more than 3,100 pregnant women in the country are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
President Santos pointed out, however, that there has been no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, the birth defect that involves the fetus’ brain, Reuters reported.
On the whole, there are 25,645 people infected with the disease in Colombia, he announced during a TV broadcast with health officials.
The Zika virus is suspected to cause serious birth defects. It is linked to microcephaly, a condition in which babies born to women infected during pregnancy have abnormally small heads and undeveloped brains.
Meanwhile, Brazilian officials will soon decide whether to amend the South American nation’s rigid procedures for sharing Zika samples, the Cabinet chief’s spokeswoman said Friday, as officials announced that they were sending a set of samples to U.S. researchers amid complaints of hoarding.
According to the Colombian president, the government would take necessary measures to fight mosquitoes across the country while sterilizing and helping families get rid of stagnant water in their homes.
