The first case of microcephaly linked to Zika virus was recorded in New York. After examining the child, the American doctors observed that this anomalous growth of the cranium is accompanied in the little patient by other brain problems.
The New York City health department, which provided the information, told AFP that the mother contracted Zika after traveling to one of the virus-endemic areas.
The latest quantified assessment carried out on July 14 by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports 12 cases of newborns with irreversible malformations associated with the Zika virus.
The Zika virus, transmitted by the tiger mosquito, continues to rage in Brazil and Latin America. Pregnant women are advised to avoid areas of implantation of the virus to prevent the risk of contamination due to the serious risk of brain malformation in the fetus. A threat that worries global health authorities a few days before theopening of the Rio Olympics.
Precautionary measure to avoid the transmission of Zika in children
People returning from risk areas are advised to protect themselves and avoid conceiving a child for the next six months. This preventive period aims to ensure that the Zika virus is no longer active in the semen of men who may have been infected. A precautionary measure reiterated by health professionals as the virus was recently spotted in the sperm of a Frenchman, three months after its contamination.
Read also: Our file on the Zika virus
Zika: recommendations in case of pregnancy
Zika outbreak expected to end in 3 years
