On Monday Colombian health officials declared
the end of the Zika outbreak in the country, which has affected close to
100,000 people since September 2015. “After looking through the numbers, which
have decreased to around 600 cases per week, we have concluded that the Zika
epidemic in Colombia is over,” announced the Ministry of Health in Bogotá.
Experts say that the numbers signal the endemic phase, in which the virus is still
present but spreads much more slowly. In comparison to the statistics from
today, in February 2016 officials have registered more than 6,000 new
infections every week.
Zika causes an illness related to dengue and
is spread by mosquitoes. Last year Brasil and Colombia were mentioned as the
most affected countries in South America. It is linked to microcephaly, a birth
defect that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads.
When traveling of course you should still use
the usual anti-moscito tactics: insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants …
For more information about Zika feel free to
contact us: Stephan.stober@neptuno.org or Christopher.romahn@neptuno.org
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