It has been reporter in Colombia that three people have died after contracting the Zika virus and developing a rare nerve disorder. Colombia Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria said there was a "causal connection" between Zika, the Guillain-Barre disorder and the three deaths.
Zika
virus which is a mosquito-borne disease has been linked to cases of babies born
in Brazil with microcephaly - underdeveloped brains. Martha Lucia Ospina, head
of Colombia's National Health Institute confirmed that the three deaths attributed
to Zika virus. However, in this particular case, the three deaths were preceded
by Guillain-Barre syndrome. Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the
body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system and it is not normally
fatal.
Another
six deaths were being investigated for possible links to Zika. There will
probably be more other cases of deaths linked to Zika. The world is realising
that Zika virus can be deadly. The mortality rate is not very high, but it can
be deadly.
Prof
Jonathan Ball, a virologist with the University of Nottingham, UK said that we
have been saying that Zika virus has been associated with Guillain-Barre. One
of the complications of that could be respiratory failure. But it is still
probably a very rare event. Although Zika usually causes mild, flu-like
symptoms, it has been linked to thousands of suspected birth defects. However,
it has not yet been proved that Zika causes either microcephaly or
Guillain-Barre. The main method of infection is through a mosquito bite but
scientists in Brazil say tests on two patients revealed Zika virus can be found
in other body fluids. Paulo Gadelha, the head of Brazil's Fiocruz Institute
which is part of the Ministry of Health, said the presence of the active Zika
virus has been found in saliva and urine. But that does not mean there is a
capacity for transmission through saliva and urine. Traces of Zika's genetic
material were detected in saliva and urine during the 2013 outbreak in French
Polynesia, but the Brazilian authorities say this is the first time active
virus has been detected. Oswaldo Cruz, also from Fiocruz, added, It means the
virus is active, capable of infecting a cell so this is completely different,
it means that the virus is functional.
Brazil
has seen 4,783 suspected cases of babies born with small brains, although only
404 of them have been confirmed, 709 have been rejected and 3,670 are still
being investigated. Meanwhile, the US has advised men to abstain from sex or
use condoms after visiting affected countries, if their partner is pregnant. The
US Centers for Disease Control believes a recent case of Zika virus was spread
through sex. The updated advice says avoiding mosquitoes remains the best way
to prevent infection, but advises men returning from affected countries to correctly
use condoms during sex or abstain from sexual activity for the duration of the
pregnancy.
Meanwhile,
the governor of Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency over Zika.
The US territory has 22 confirmed cases.
