First Sexually Transmitted Zika Case Reported in Peru

First case of sexually transmitted locally contracted Zika virus has been reported in Peru, said health authorities.

A woman tested positive for Zika in Peru officials went to see if she could have been bitten by a transmitter mosquito at her home. They found no mosquito presence, they tested her partner's sperm. He tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Anibal Velasquez told reporters.

The woman and her partner were treated in hospital and are now healthy, he added.

Zika Fever - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention
Zika virus is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes which causes mild fever with maculopapular rash. No treatment or vaccine is currently available.

‘First case of sexually transmitted locally contracted Zika virus has been reported in Peru, said health authorities.’

The virus has been linked to cases of microcephaly in babies born to mothers who have Zika, as well as to Guillain-Barre, a disorder that causes the immune system to attack parts of the nervous system that controls muscle strength.

Brazil, where the Zika virus was first detected in Latin America in early 2015, has had a surge in cases of microcephaly coinciding with the Zika outbreak.

On Thursday, neighboring Colombia reported the country's first two cases of microcephaly associated with Zika.

Test Your Knowledge on Zika Virus
Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that causes fever, headache, skin rashes, joint and muscle pain in infected individuals. The symptoms usually last for only 2 to 7 days. Fetal symptoms vary and have led to International concern.

Some 70,000 clinical cases of Zika have been reported to date in Colombia, and as many as 200,000 cases are expected before the epidemic peaks.

Source-AFP

Colombia Reports First Two Cases of Zika-Linked Microcephaly
Colombian health authorities reported the country's first two cases of microcephaly associated with Zika.

Zika Virus Genetic Changes May Hint At Its Ability to Cause Birth Defects
Never before has a mosquito-borne virus shown the potential to cause a condition known as microcephaly in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant.