More than 3,100 pregnant women in Colombia have Zika virus

BOGOTA – Reuters

AFP photo

More than 3,100 pregnant Colombian women are infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Feb. 6, as the disease continues its rapid spread across the Americas. 

There are 25,645 people infected with Zika in Colombia, Santos said during a TV broadcast with health officials. Among them are 3,177 pregnant women. 

Santos added that there was no evidence that Zika had caused any cases of the birth defect known as microcephaly in his country.

Brazil is investigating the potential link between Zika infections and more than 4,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by an abnormally small head size that can result in developmental problems. Researchers have identified evidence of Zika infection in 17 of these cases, either in the baby or in the mother, but have not confirmed that Zika can cause microcephaly. 

There are so far no recorded cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in Colombia, Santos said. The government is now uncertain about a previous projection for up to 500 cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, based on data from other countries battling the disease, he said. 

Much remains unknown about Zika, for which there is no vaccine. An estimated 80 percent of those infected show no symptoms, and those that do have a mild illness, with a fever, rash and red eyes. 

“The projection is that we could end up having 600,000 cases,” Santos said, adding there could be up to 1,000 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can weaken the muscles and cause paralysis. Scientists are studying a possible link between the disorder and Zika. 

The Colombian government will be working across the country to fight mosquitoes - fumigating and helping families rid their homes of stagnant water, the president said. 

Meanwhile, Hondurans by the thousands took part in a day of national mobilization to try and eradicate mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus armed with brooms, spades and hoes, the government said.

Some 200,000 residents of this Central American nation spent Feb. 6 ridding homes and gardens of standing water and fumigating areas suspected of harboring larvae from the virus-carrying mosquito.