Zika virus alert over rising birth defects

The Zika virus, an infection linked to thousands of babies being born with the microcephaly brain defect, is spreading through the Americas

U.S.: At least “a dozen or so” travel-relatedcases of virus. Hawaii baby recently born with microcephaly had prior Zika infection

Mexico

Guatemala

El Salvador Urging women to avoid getting pregnant until 2018

Honduras

Colombia

Countries where local transmission of Zika virus has been found as of January 2016

Panama

Caribbean: Haiti, Martinique (FR), Puerto Rico (U.S.), Saint Martin (FR)

Venezuela

Guyana, Suriname,French Guiana

Brazil: Almost 4,000 babies born with microcephaly since Oct 2015, mainly in north- east. Brazil had fewer than 150 cases in whole of 2014

Paraguay

ZIKA VIRUS FACTS

Origin: First identified in Uganda in 1947. Has caused outbreaks in Africa,Southeast Asia and Pacific islands

Transmission: By bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquito 

Symptoms: Include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. About one in five infected people fall sick – illness usually mild, lasting for several days to a week

Treatment: No vaccine or antiviral medicine available. Patients advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids

Concerns: Virus may affect unborn baby, resulting in reduced head size,or microcephaly. Children born with condition face learning difficulties or death if brain is very underdeveloped

Baby with microcephaly

Typical head size 

Zika link with microcephaly not yet confirmed, but some babies who died had virus in their brain

Sources: CDC, wire agencies

Picture: CDC