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First US Zika death reported in Puerto Rico

A 70-year-old man infected with the mosquito-borne virus died in February, Puerto Rico's health secretary said. The US territory has recorded more than 600 Zika cases, with 73 of those involving pregnant women. Zika has been linked to severe birth defects, especially in Latin America, such as babies being born with under-developed brains. Health secretary Ana Rius said all 14 pregnant women infected with Zika who have given birth have healthy babies. Seventeen people on the island have been in hospital, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. Five are thought to have developed a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre because of Zika, although that link is unproven."The patient died of complications related to severe thrombocytopenia," the CDC said. "Although Zika virus-associated deaths are rare, the first identified death in Puerto Rico highlights the possibility of severe cases, as well as the need for continued outreach to ...

Sexual transmission of the Zika virus is more common , WHO

After an emergency committee meeting on Tuesday, the UN health agency also said there was increasing evidence of links between Zika and various birth defects. Zika is most commonly spread by mosquitoes but several countries have reported cases of sexual transmission. The WHO last month said the outbreak constitutes a global emergency. WHO Director General Dr Margaret Chan said "reports and investigations in several countries strongly suggest that sexual transmission of the virus is more common than previously assumed". She called the development "alarming". Dr Chan also said that microcephaly - a birth defect strongly linked to the Zika outbreak in Brazil - was just one of several conditions that the WHO had linked to Another is Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Nine countries have now reported an increase in cases of GBS, a rare condition that can cause temporary paralysis and death. Dr Chan said problems linked to Zika were now being seen not ...

Study shows Zika 'might cause' Guillain-Barré syndrome

The study was carried out using blood samples from 42 patients who became ill in a previous outbreak. The Lancet authors say they developed the neurological problems around six days after Zika infection. Leading scientists described the study as "compelling". Zika was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in early February. The virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has caused alarm in central and south America because of its suspected links to under-developed brains in babies - a condition called microcephaly. But experts have also questioned whether Zika might be linked to another medical condition as well. Guillain-Barré syndrome leads to muscle weakness and, in severe cases, breathing problems requiring intensive care. It is a rare response to infection, which sees the immune system attacking peripheral nerves.Researchers analysed the blood of patients who developed the diso...

Pregnant Queensland woman tests positive zika

The woman had recently returned from an overseas trip, said Queensland Health, but gave no further details. She was diagnosed on Tuesday. It is Australia's third case of Zika, following two people in Queensland who also caught it abroad. Zika has been linked to a condition called microcephaly, in which babies are born with underdeveloped brains. An international health emergency has been declared by the World Health Organization over the virus, which has spread rapidly in South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. Brazil has been particularly badly affected, prompting concern about its hosting of this summer's Olympics. While the mosquito-borne disease is a concern for women who are, or may become, pregnant, most other sufferers experience only mild symptoms, such as fevers and skin rashes.

Zika virus pregnancy case confirmed in Spain

The health ministry said the woman had recently returned from Colombia, where it is believed she was infected. Zika, which is spreading through the Americas, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the microcephaly condition, linked to the mosquito-borne virus, a global public health emergency. The WHO on Thursday also advised countries not to accept blood donations from people who had travelled to Zika-affected regions, the AFP news agency reported. The link between Zika infection and microcephaly has not been confirmed and the risks at different stages of pregnancy are unknown." In a statement (in Spanish), the health ministry said the pregnant woman was diagnosed as having Zika in the north-eastern Catalonia region. It did not release the woman's name, saying she was one of seven confirmed cases in Spain. It said two more patients were in Catalonia, two in Castile and ...

Brazil links Zika fever to birth defects

The fever, it said, is behind a spike in cases of micro-encephalitis - an inflammation of the brain contracted in the first months of pregnancy. It has recorded two adult deaths and 739 cases of the disease, which can stunt the growth of the foetus's head. A World Health Organization team arrives in Brazil next week. The ministry said doctors had found Zika virus in the blood and tissue of a baby with micro-encephalitis in the north-eastern state of Ceara. It said it was also the first time in the world that adult deaths from Zika virus had been registered. Most cases have been in the north-east of Brazil but cases also rapidly appeared in the south-east, in Rio and Sao Paulo. The first confirmed case of death was of a man in the city of Belem, in Para state, who was being treated for Lupus, a disease of the immune system. The second case, also in Para, was of a 16-year-old girl who was admitted with suspected Dengue fever but who was found...