Peru worries after alert of first Zika case there

World Today

Peru has issued a nationwide bulletin after confirming its first case of the Zika virus in country.

CCTV America’s Dan Collyns reports from Lima.

Peru has issued a green alert nationwide after the Andean country’s first confirmed case of the mosquito-borne virus Zika that is rapidly spreading across the Americas. The World Health Organization said on Monday that the virus was an international emergency and could be linked to thousands of birth defects in babies.

The Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the vector for Zika, is present in every region of Peru but the high Andes mountains.
Last year, it spread 180 cases of Chikungunya and infected many more with Dengue fever.

Peru has the conditions for this disease to spread. Health officials know they must take all measures to prevent the mosquito-borne virus from taking hold in the country.
So far, the only case has come from outside, but there will likely be more.

Meanwhile scientists are making sure they can swiftly detect the disease.

As the El Nino phenomenon looms, heavy rains and flooding are expected in the coming weeks and months. That could create the ideal conditions for this mosquito to breed.