A Pregnant Mother in Cayo Tests Positive for Zika

There is another confirmed case of zika in Belize. Late this evening, the Ministry of Health issued a release confirming that another patient has tested positive for the virus. This second case is being closely monitored by the Ministry of Health staff, however, because the sample was that of a pregnant woman from Cayo and zika has been scientifically linked to microcephaly, in which babies are born with smaller heads. The ministry release goes on to say that the case was picked up through its ongoing vector borne disease and vaccine preventable disease surveillance, which now includes the monitoring of Zika in the country. The first case was confirmed last Monday; that sample was taken from a patient at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. This morning, the ministry collected a sample from another pregnant woman who showed symptoms of the virus. That latest sample will also be sent to Caribbean Public Health Agency, better known as CARPHA, for further testing. The public is encouraged to exercise control measures to prevent the further spread of Zika.