PUBLIC HEALTH IMAGE LIBRARY, JAMES GATHANYThe so-called Asian strain of Zika virus currently circulating in Brazil, which has been linked to birth defects in babies infected in utero, has been found in Africa’s Cape Verde islands, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday (May 20). It’s the first time this strain has been seen in Africa, the organization said.
“The findings are of concern because it is further proof that the outbreak is spreading beyond South America and is on the doorstep of Africa,” Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in the statement. “This information will help African countries to re-evaluate their level of risk and adapt and increase their levels of preparedness.”
According to the WHO, as of May 8, there were 7,557 suspected cases of Zika virus infection in Cape Verde, which is located about 350 miles west of Senegal. Three cases of microcephaly have so far been reported from the islands, the organization said.
The virus was first isolated in Uganda in 1947, but was not known to cause birth defects until the 2015 outbreak in Brazil. Authorities ...
