The Number Of People Infected With Zikavirus In Colombia Could Reach 600,000

Colombia’s Health Minister, Alejandro Gaviria, revealed that, nationwide, the number of  patients infected with Zika could increase this year to 450,000  or even 600,000, just as the Chikungunya virus evolved  until last year.

Colombia is the second country with more confirmed cases of the epidemic in Latin America, surpassed only by Brazil, which was one of the first to report cases.

The risk is greatest for stocks that are below 2200 meters above sea level and there is a special warning for pregnant women.

Transmission of the virus in Colombia began in the second half of 2015 and, since then,  429 cases of pregnant women with Zika have been confirmed by laboratory, while 202 others have been declared as suspects.

These latter cases are under   careful medical supervision, which seeks to confirm or rule out neurological abnormalities in the fetus.

106 births of women diagnosed with the virus were also reported, and of those born, only 30 were unaffected.

The latest data released by  the National Institute of Health of Colombia  (INS) ensure that  there are a total of 13,531 cases of Zika virus in the country, of which 10,837 have been clinically confirmed, 776 laboratory confirmed and 1,918 are suspected.

Latin America on alert…

The Zika epidemic, a virus originating in Africa and Asia, has 18 countries in Latin America on alert and, in fact, three cases have already  been detected in the United States: two in Miami and one in Hawaii.

Brazil, the most affected country, is another that estimated that the number will increase significantly this year, and that newborns will be the most affected by malformations related to the attack of the virus in pregnant women.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health has revealed that suspected cases of microcephaly have risen to 3,893 since investigations began last year. Of these, 224 cases confirmed the presence of the malformation, but continue to be investigated to analyze its relationship with the presence of the  virus.

One of the most recent studies was reported by Instituto Carlos Chagas do Brasil , and it is suggested that  Zika can cross the pregnant woman’s placenta,  putting the fetus at risk.

Countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, among others, have also expressed concern about the rapid expansion that the virus has had since the end of 2015 until today.

The Colombian government has recommended that couples living in the country avoid pregnancy, at least for the first six months of this year, in order to reduce the risk of microcephaly or malformation caused by Zika.

This was also requested by Jamaica -country where there are still no reports- and the Dominican Republic, which are already working on prevention and information campaigns.

Meanwhile, in Bolivia, authorities in the Santa Cruz region have declared an orange alert after learning the official diagnosis of four patients, including a  pregnant woman.

On the other hand, the  United States recommended that pregnant women avoid visiting 14 of the 20 countries  that are on alert for the transmission of the virus.

The symptoms of Zika usually last four to seven days and are very similar to those of dengue. Therefore, it is essential to consult your physician immediately if you present:

• Fever.
• Muscle pain.
• Weakness.
• Conjunctivitis.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Skin rashes.

As with any disease,  early detection is critical to  reducing the  most serious  risks and alleviating your symptoms.

The  World Health Organization  asked affected countries to improve the capacity of their laboratories to detect the presence of infection by this virus.

This is achieved by analyzing the polymerase chain reaction, using DNA samples and isolating the virus from blood samples.