Puerto Rico Reports First Case Of Zika Virus, Spread By Mosquitoes

 

Puerto Rico has reported its first case of Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that has been spreading across South America and the Caribbean and has been linked by Brazilian authorities to a serious birth defect, a US Congressman said on Thursday Dec 31,2015

Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, said in a statement his office had been in touch with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which had confirmed the single case of Zika on the island.

"There is no reason for alarm, and the public should continue to take common sense steps to avoid mosquito bites, like using repellent and wearing long pants and shirts," Pierluisi said.

Zika was first detected in Africa in the 1940s but was unknown in the Americas until last year 2014

The mosquito-transmitted disease has been confirmed in countries including Brazil, Panama, Venezuela, El Salvador, Mexico, Suriname, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guatemala and Paraguay, according to public health officials.

Brazilian authorities in November 2014 linked Zika to a surge in babies born with microcephaly, a birth defect that seriously limits a child's mental and physical abilities.

Between 3 and 12 days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the virus, three out of four people come down with symptoms including mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, headaches and joint pain.