A patient tested positive for Zika virus in Denmark. He would have traveled to Central America and South America.
A first case of Zika fever has been identified in Denmark. According to Danish health authorities, the patient has traveled to America, to the affected areas.
“A Danish tourist who traveled to South and Central America was diagnosed with Zika virus infection on his return,” Aarhus hospital said in a statement released Tuesday evening.
A “serious cause for concern”
Zika virus is transmitted by a bite of a tiger mosquito Aedes aegypti. It “will continue to extend” to the entire American continent, the World Health Organization said on Monday, which sees it “as a serious cause for concern”. Only Canada and Chile could escape the virus; they are indeed the only two countries of the American continent where Aedes aegypti is not yet present.
There is no cure or vaccine for the disease, but it is possible to treat the symptoms. In pregnant women, the virus can be transmitted to the fetus and could lead to birth defects, such as microcephaly, and even death.
The countries most affected are Brazil and Colombia. As of January 16, 13,808 confirmed cases, including 890 pregnant women, have been identified, as well as 2,611 suspected cases. In Europe, at least nine cases have been detected. These are people who have traveled to areas affected by the virus.
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