Researchers from Europe have out that a fetal brain whose mother suffered Zika virus symptoms during pregnancy is missing neural folds. Even though it's not enough to prove that the mosquito-borne disease directly causes microcephaly, scientists believe what they found is a big clue in finding the link between the two.
Latin Americans in general doubt their goverments can do anything to eliminate the Zika virus. A new survey showed that Latin Americans in general do not believe the Zika virus can be contained anymore.
The Zika virus has led to calls for revision of restrictive abortion laws. Zika virus not only made Latin American women wary of becoming pregnant, it also sparked a resurgence of an age-old debate: whether to or not to legalize abortion.
President Juan Manuel Santos announced last Saturday that Colombia has diagnosed a total of 3,177 cases of pregnant women with Zika virus, per the Associated Press. The good news is that no microcephaly, a birth defect related to the mosquito-borne disease was recorded.
Puerto Rico health officials have confirmed the first case of Zika virus in a pregnant patient. Puerto Rico's health officials have announced on Thursday that the first case of the Zika virus infection on a pregnant woman has just been confirmed.
Scientists are saying that the rise in temperature caused by El Niño speeds up the life cycle of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the Zika virus and other diseases like dengue. Current areas with Zika virus outbreaks are experiencing hot temperatures and drought.
The American Red Cross and the National Health Service (NHS) recently announced a 28-day ban on blood donors coming from the Latin America region and the Caribbean.
The Zika virus that has scared Latin America for months was reported in the United States for the first time on Feb. 2, but the transmission apparently occurred via sexual contact rather than through a bite from the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The Zika epidemic has raised so much concern that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency in order to raise awareness about the disease.
With over 270 confirmed microcephaly cases due to the Zika virus, Brazilians are still gearing up for their annual Carnival activities while planning to celebrate as normally as they can.
Brazil's pre-Carnival celebration just got a lot cuter. Just days before Brazil's highly-anticipated annual Carnival celebration, Rio de Janeiro's four-legged stars were able to enjoy a day of fun with their favorite humans on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.
As the Zika Virus continues to alarm several countries, including Latin America like Ecuador, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Honduras, Panama and El Salvador, health organizations have recently urged for women to try not to get pregnant and have more access to contraceptives, Fox News Latino reports.
The outbreak of the Zika virus in Latin America has caused concern all over the world with cases being reported and confirmed in the United States and European countries. Health officials are suspecting that the origin of the epidemic started during the 2014 World Cup that was held in Brazil.
The fourth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) ended Wednesday as delegates pledged regional unity to focus on the peace process in Colombia and fight the economic crisis and the epidemic caused by the Zika virus. The summit, which was recently held in Ecuador, was hosted by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.
