Zika Virus News: Deadly Strain Spreads to Africa, WHO Says
As the world continues to follow the path of the 2016 Olympics set to debut in Rio de Janeiro in August, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Zika has reached Cape Verde, Africa.
According to The Inquirer, Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Chief in Africa, told journalists in Geneva, Switzerland, "This is the first time that strain of Zika which has been showed to cause neurological disorders and microcephaly...has been detected in Africa."
What's more alarming about the update is the strain found in Cape Verde, turned out to be the same as the infection that has caused a hike in cases in Latin America. Health officials have called the new discovery the "Asian strain," and is causing more tension within the realm of science as the search for a method to stop the epidemic continues.
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While the announcement may be good for urging other African regions to re-evaluate their level of risk and susceptibility to the virus, the news has also become a reason for many to be scared even more.
The first case in Africa was discovered in the French Caribbean island of Martinique on an 84-year-old who has been detained in intensive care for 10 days after being diagnosed with Guillain -Barre Syndrome. It is believed that the Asian strain was imported to Cape Verde by a traveling tourist who came from Brazil.
Meanwhile, tension continues to build as the world awaits on the official decision that the 2016 Olympics will made regarding the request of many to move the games to another location.
On Thursday, the United States Swimming Team announced that it will be moving a pre-Olympic training camp to Atlanta. Initially, the camp was supposed to be located in Puerto Rico. According to CNN, the decision was made due to "the current situation with the Zika virus."
Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged pregnant women to avoid travelling to Brazil, Puerto Rico, and other infected areas after scientists linked Zika to microcephaly in babies whose mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy.
Microcephaly is a condition wherein babies are born with abnormally small heads and they usually have staggered brain development. Since it is an isolated condition, some babies may also be born with other major birth defects such as developmental delay, feeding problems, and decreased ability to cope with daily life functions.
