Confirmed Zika Cases In Puerto Rico Increase To 157

San Juan, Mar 8 (Prensa Latina) The Health Minister of Puerto Rico, Ana Rius Armendariz, said today that during the island''s eighth week of virus alert, the country had confirmed 157 cases of Zika virus, including 14 pregnant women.

She confirmed this in a meeting with the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Dr. Thomas Frieden, who traveled to Puerto Rico in an effort to establish collaborative ties in the fight against the virus.

"The CDC is offering us technical support and we are helping them to get to know the disease better," Rius said.

Rius noted that Health Department officials are especially concerned about providing better prenatal care to the infected, pregnant women, most of whom are in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and therefore need special attention.

She also confirmed that officials had taken measures with regards to blood transfusions, including the import of blood products from the US, in order to prevent further viral contamination.

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