niman Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) Zika Cases In Pregnant Columbia Case Double In One Week http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35450644 Edited January 30, 2016 by niman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Zika: Colombia cases in pregnant women double in a week2 hours ago From the sectionLatin America & CaribbeanImage copyrightAFPImage captionOver 20,000 people have been infected with Zika in Colombia, according to health officialsThe number of pregnant women in Colombia infected with the Zika virus has doubled in a week, officials said.Almost 2,000 pregnant women now have the virus, Colombia's National Health Institute said, out of the more than 20,000 people infected across Colombia.The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to babies being born with abnormally small brains.The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned Zika is "spreading explosively", predicting up to 4m cases this year.On Monday, the WHO meets to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.Brazil has been worst affected by the outbreak, followed by Colombia, but more than 20 other countries have seen cases.Jamaica and Peru reported their first confirmed cases over the weekend, with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala urging calm and stressing that the patient contracted the disease outside of the country.More on the Zika virus:Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage captionThe Zika virus has been linked to infant microcephaly, which can hamper brain developmentZika: What you need to knowMothers' fears amid outbreakTracing the origins of ZikaZika symptoms are mild, causing a low fever, joint pain, headaches, a rash and conjunctivitis.But concern surrounds a surge in babies born with microcephaly, or abnormally small heads, from mothers infected with Zika. A link has not been confirmed.Colombia has also said it has seen an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder that can cause temporary paralysis, that has also been linked to Zika.The outbreak has sparked health warnings and eradication campaigns, with Brazil deploying troops and Colombia launching a mass fumigation campaign to fight mosquitoes.Colombia and other Latin American countries have advised women to delay getting pregnant for the moment.What is the Zika virus:Spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever and yellow feverFirst discovered in Africa in the 1940s but is now spreading in Latin AmericaScientists say there is growing evidence of a link to microcephaly, that leads to babies being born with small headsCan lead to fever and a rash but most people show no symptoms, and there is no known cureOnly way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and protect against mosquito bites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Colombia has more than 2,000 Zika cases in pregnant women: OfficialThe National Health Institute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infection, 2,116 in pregnant women.Posted 30 Jan 2016 23:29PHOTOSAn Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which can spread the Zika virus. (AFP/Marvin Recinos)ENLARGECAPTION 70 Email More A A BOGOTA: Colombia announced Saturday (Jan 30) that more than 2,000 pregnant women in the South American country have been infected with the Zika virus, which is suspected of causing brain damage in newborns.The National Health Institute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infection, 2,116 in pregnant women.- AFP/rwhttp://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/colombia-has-more-than-2/2473984.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Colombia reports more than 2,000 Zika cases in pregnant womenAFP/File / Schneyder MendozaA pregnant woman infected by the Zika virus, at the Erasmo Meoz University Hospital in Cucuta, Colombia on January 25, 2016Colombia announced Saturday that more than 2,000 pregnant women have been infected with Zika, amid growing concern about the spread of the virus suspected of causing irreversible brain damage in newborns.Bogota (AFP)The National Health Institute reported that Colombia now has 20,297 cases of Zika infection, including 2,116 in expectant mothers.The latest numbers, reported in the institute’s epidemiological bulletin, make Colombia the second most affected country in the region, after Brazil, the epicenter of the outbreak.Although the mosquito-borne virus’s symptoms are relatively mild, it is believed to be linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a devastating condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain.Microcephaly is an untreatable disease that can cause permanent damage to the child’s motor and cognitive development.The World Health Organization warned this week that the virus is “spreading explosively” in the Americas, with three million to four million cases expected this year.AFP / Adrian Leung/John SaekiFactfile on the Zika virus.Brazil, the hardest hit country, sounded the alarm in October, when a rash of microcephaly cases emerged in the northeast.Since then, there have been 270 confirmed cases of microcephaly and 3,448 suspected cases, up from 147 in 2014.The National Health Institute said that 1,050 of Colombia’s Zika infection cases were confirmed by laboratory tests, 17,115 by clinical exams, and 2,132 were suspected cases.Women have been the most affected in Colombia, accounting for 63.6 percent of the cases.The government expects more than 600,000 people to become infected with the Zika virus in Colombia this year, and projects some 500 cases of microcephaly.Earlier this week, Colombian authorities ordered hospitals in lower-lying areas to prepare for the spread of the disease, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.With the virus already affecting some 193 municipalities, authorities also recommended that couples delay attempts to become pregnant for six to eight months.Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica and Puerto Rico have also warned women to delay conceiving.– No vaccine –AFP/File / Luis RobayoA government employee fumigates against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito inside a house in Cali, Colombia on January 28, 2016In the absence of a vaccine and with no way to prevent it other than to avoid mosquito bites, Latin American countries have called for greater efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.In Nicaragua and Honduras, for example, teams of volunteers formed by concerned teachers, students and parents, are readying to clean up areas containing stagnant water.In Brazil, which hosts the Summer Olympics in August, authorities have deployed a small army of sanitation workers to do the same, as well as to fumigate against mosquitoes.On Friday, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff vowed to “win the war” against the virus, but some experts criticized her government’s response and warned the Olympics could fuel the disease’s spread.Rousseff’s comments came on the same day she and US President Barack Obama agreed to launch a high-level bilateral group to develop a vaccine.– Virus sparks abortion debate –In both Brazil and Colombia, the Zika virus has sparked a debate about abortion, with some activists arguing that it should be allowed in cases of microcephaly.In both countries, terminating a pregnancy is only legal in the case of rape, risks to the mother’s health or if the fetus is not viable.The issue is even more pressing in El Salvador, an affected country where a 1998 law criminalizes all abortions, including following rape, incest or when a mother’s life is in danger.Colombian activists argue abortion should be allowed if a fetus has microcephaly because it is a situation that affects the mother’s mental health.In Brazil, meanwhile, a group of researchers, lawyers and activists announced they would take the matter to the country’s Supreme Court.© 2016 AFPhttp://citizen.co.za/afp_feed_article/colombia-reports-more-than-2000-zika-cases-in-pregnant-women/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Zika cases soar in ColombiaUpdated 22 minutes agoShare on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Google Plus Share on Reddit Share on Linked In Share via emailThe number of pregnant women in Colombia with the zika virus has doubled in a week to nearly 2000, health officials say.A physiotherapist in Brazil holds a baby suffering from microcephalia.Photo: AFPWith 20,000 people confirmed as having the virus, Colombia is now the second most infected country in the world after Brazil.The officials said the number of pregnant women confirmed to have the zika virus has shot up to about 1900. There are another 200 suspected cases.The mosquito-borne disease has been linked to thousands of severe birth defects in Brazil.That country has seen a surge in babies with microcephaly, or abnormally small brains, born from mothers infected with zika, although there is no definitive proof zika was the cause.The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned the virus is "spreading explosively". It has already swept through 23 countries in the Americas.WHO predicts there could be up to 4 million cases this year.The organisation will meet on Monday to decide whether zika should be treated as a global emergency.Jamaica and Peru reported their first confirmed cases over the weekend, with the Peruvian President Ollanta Humala stressing that the patient contracted the disease outside of the country.Zika symptoms are mild, causing a low fever, joint pain, headaches, a rash and conjunctivitis.Colombia has also said it had seen an increase in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder that can cause temporary paralysis, that has also been linked to zika.The outbreak has sparked health warnings and eradication campaigns, with Brazil deploying troops and Colombia launching a mass fumigation campaign to fight mosquitoes.Colombia and other Latin American countries have advised women to delay getting pregnant.- BBChttp://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/295367/zika-cases-soar-in-colombia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Life | Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:53pm GMTRelated: HEALTHMore than 2,100 pregnant Colombian women infected with Zika virusBOGOTA | BY JULIA SYMMES COBB An Aedes aegypti mosquito is seen on human hand in a laboratory of the International Training and Medical Research Training Center (CIDEIM) in Cali, Colombia January 28, 2016REUTERS/JAIME SALDARRIAGA More than 2,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the country's national health institute said on Saturday, as the disease continues its spread across the Americas.The virus has been linked to the devastating birth defect microcephaly, which prevents fetus' brains from developing properly. There is no vaccine or treatment.There are 20,297 confirmed cases of the disease in Colombia, the national health institute said in a epidemiology bulletin, among them 2,116 pregnant women.There are so far no reported cases of microcephaly or deaths from the virus in Colombia.The institute said 37.2 percent of pregnant women with Zika live in Norte de Santander province, along the eastern border with Venezuela.Earlier figures from the health ministry showed 560 pregnant women had the disease, out of more than 13,500 infections.Zika cases have been confirmed in 23 countries and territories in the Americas and scientists are racing to develop a vaccine for the virus.Nearly half of Colombia's Zika cases have been reported in the country's Caribbean region, the bulletin said. More than 60 percent of those infected are women.The health ministry has said Zika infection falls within the health requirements women must meet to get abortions in the country, which restricts the procedure unless patients are victims of rape, have significant medical problems or the fetus is fatally deformed.Many women, especially those living far from large cities, struggle to find abortion providers even when they meet the legal requirements and illegal abortions are widespread.The government has urged women to delay pregnancy for six to eight months to avoid potential infection. Officials expect up to 700,000 cases.Brazil is the country hit hardest by the disease. It has reported around 3,700 cases of microcephaly strongly suspected to be related to Zika.The World Health Organization has said as many as 4 million people in the Americas may become infected. (Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-colombia-idUKKCN0V80UK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 CBS/AP January 30, 2016, 4:52 PMZika virus infects more than 2,100 pregnant Colombian womenSueli Maria holds her newborn daughter Milena, who has microcephaly, a brain defect linked to the Zika virus, at a hospital in Recife, Brazil, January 28, 2016. REUTERS 2 Comments 402 Shares Tweet Stumble EmailBOGOTA, Colombia -- More than 2,100 pregnant women in Colombia are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the country's national health institute said on Saturday, according to Reuters.The disease has been linked to a serious birth defect called microcephaly, which causes babies to be born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. Overall, more than 20,000 people in Colombia have developed Zika.The virus was initially detected last year in Brazil. Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of World Health Organization, warned Thursday that Zika is "spreading explosively," and has quickly gone from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions. Play VIDEOHow concerned should U.S. be about Zika virus outbreak?The WHO said the virus could infect 4 million people by the end of the year.Health officials in Brazil reported earlier this week that about 4,000 infants have been born with microcephaly, compared to fewer than 150 in 2014.Dozens of Zika cases have been reported in the U.S., all in people who traveled outside the country.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that pregnant women, or those who may become pregnant, should try to avoid travel to at least 24 countries and territories, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, where Zika virus has been spreading.The CDC has said that Zika is not expected to pose as much of a threat to the U.S. as it has to Brazil and other countries in the region. But officials said they do expect to see some locally-transmitted cases occur in the United States. Play VIDEOWHO warns Zika virus could infect millions worldwide"We will see mini-outbreaks like in Florida and in Texas that can be well controlled with mosquito vector control," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.Fauci told CBS News on Thursday the Zika outbreak is a pandemic."You have multiple countries in South America and in the Caribbean, so by anybody's definition that would be considered a pandemic," Fauci said.Health officials are also concerned about a spike in a rare, sometimes-paralyzing syndrome that could be linked to the Zika virus.A health official said Saturday Colombia has now recorded 41 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome that appear to be linked to Zika. It had detected 12 such cases a week ago. Venezuelan Health Minister Luisana Melo said her country has seen 255 cases of Guillain-Barre, apparently as part of its effort to fight Zika, though she did not specify the link or the time frame.Former Health Minister Jose Oletta said Venezuela normally sees 30 to 40 cases of Guillain-Barre a month and said the large number now indicates that Zika infections are far greater than the roughly 4,500 suspected cases than officials acknowledge.On Monday, the WHO will gather its Emergency Committee for about three to six hours in a "virtual" meeting, spokesman Christian Lindmeier told CBS News' Pamela Falk on Friday.The committee will draft a recommendation to Chan, who will make a determination next week whether to declare Zika a "public health emergency of international concern," or PHEIC. WHO would then help coordinate an international emergency response.http://www.cbsnews.com/news/zika-virus-infects-more-than-2100-pregnant-colombian-women/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Here is the alert issued by Colombia over expanding Zika virusJanuary 31, 2016 in Science The mosquitoes that carry and transmit the Zika virusdon't live in Canada due to the colder weather, but they can survive in the southern states.DE health officials are the latest to issue a warning to women who are pregnant or who intend to become pregnant about traveling to countries where the Zika virus transmission is occurring.Zika is mild in most people sometimes causing a headache, a rash, joint pain or red eyes.Officials say the patient in Boston is expected to survive - and even though Americans have been diagnosed with Zika, there's no evidence that anyone got infected by a mosquito in the U.S.According to a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a 15-year-old boy in Cebu City was reportedly afflicted with Zika virus and recovered fully after three weeks.ABC News reported more than 30 combined cases across the continental USA earlier in the day.JUDY WOODRUFF: Researchers say it's still relatively rare that a pregnant woman infected around the time of delivery can pass the virus to her newborn. A cousin of yellow fever, Zika is transported by mosquitoes and appears to afflict unborn children with a potentially crippling neurological disorder.China is closely cooperating with other countries and the World Health Organization, exchanging medical information and staying briefed on the virus situation to be prepared for any risks, it said.The virus, they say, could spread to an unborn baby and could cause birth defects."They don't have a curent treatment right now so we are waiting to see if they develop anything", Boukouris said.Still, the panel advised anyone who has traveled to the affected areas and experience symptoms to be tested."You mostly see the Aedes mosquito in the southern part of our country", she said.A total of 4,500 suspected cases of the zika virus have been detected in Venezuela, the country's Health Minister Luisana Melo revealed on Thursday.Some airlines are offering refunds to expectant mothers with tickets to any of 22 countries or territories with outbreaks of the disease.According to sources, the Union Health Ministry has also recently called health experts from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme and National Centre for Disease Control to closely look at the virus trend and chalk out plans to avert the virus.http://leadercall.com/2016/01/here-is-the-alert-issued-by-colombia-over-expanding-zika/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niman Posted January 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 At least 20,000 infected by Zika virus in ColombiaWomen account for 63.6 percent of the cases, of whom at least 2,000 are pregnant.30 Jan 2016 17:48 GMT | Health, Environment, Latin America, Colombia, Brazil Shares: 53 Countries across the Americas region are struggling to contain the Zika epidemic [AP]More than 20,000 people, including at least 2,116 pregnant women, have been infected with the Zika virus in the South American country of Colombia.Colombia's National Health Institute reported on Saturday that it has recorded 20,297 cases of the infection, which makes it the second most affected country in the region after Brazil.The World Health Organisation warned this week that the virus is "spreading explosively" in the Americas, with three million to four million cases expected this year.Although the mosquito-borne virus's symptoms are relatively mild, it is believed to be linked to a surge in cases of microcephaly, a devastating condition in which a baby is born with an abnormally small head and brain.Microcephaly is an untreatable disease that can cause permanent damage to the child's motor and cognitive development.Brazil has reported as many as 1.5 million cases of Zika infection. Since the outbreak was detected there last year, 3,718 cases of microcephaly have been reported, compared to an average 163 cases a year before that.Explained: Threats and origins of the Zika virusThe National Health Institute said that 1,050 of Colombia's Zika infection cases were confirmed by laboratory tests, 17,115 by clinical exams, and 2,132 were suspected cases.Women have been the most affected in Colombia, accounting for 63.6 percent of the cases.The government expects more than 600,000 people to become infected with the Zika virus in Colombia this year, and projects some 500 cases of microcephaly.On Tuesday, Colombian authorities ordered hospitals in lower-lying areas to prepare for the spread of the disease, which is carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.It also recommended that couples delay attempts to become pregnant for six to eight months.Source: Agencieshttp://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/20000-infected-zika-virus-colombia-160130165855047.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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