Viral Portal News: Venezuela

Venezuela records three deaths due to Zika virus

Unknown 8:44 AM deaths , Records , three , Venezuela , virus , Zika

• Venezuela reports three deaths linked to Zika virus • President Maduro said there are 319 confirmed cases of Zika virus in the country • 255 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome have also been reported in Venezuela Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro spoke on national television to confirm that three people have died from complications linked to Zika virus. It was the first confirmation of death due to the mosquito-borne virus in the country, according to a <a href="http://www.france24.com/en/20160212-three-dead-venezuela-after-contracting-zika-maduro">France 24</a> article dated February 12, 2016. President Maduro said there are 319 confirmed cases of the Zika virus nationwide, and unfortunately, three people have died from it. Since November 5, 2015 until February 8 this year, there are a total of 5,221 reported suspected cases of Zika virus. Sixty-eight people have been in the intensive care, the president said. Maduro, however, is silent on the number of pregnant women who are suspected of contracting the virus. The country’s Health Ministry did not respond to earlier requests for information on the number of pregnant women with Zika. Medical practitioners in the country said Venezuela has a far greater incidence of Zika virus than the government has publicly admitted. They criticized the government for not doing enough to combat the outbreak. Health Minister Luisana Melo said there are also 255 cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome; a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The disorder can cause paralysis and even death. It usually occurs after exposure to a virus, bacteria or parasite. The Guillain-Barre Syndrome is being linked to Zika virus after Colombia reported that three people died after contracting Zika virus and then developing the syndrome. The spread of Zika virus in Venezuela is being partly blamed due to poor access to water, which has led people to store water in open containers thereby creating mosquito breeding grounds. In a bid to stop Zika virus from spreading, government workers have fanned out across the country spraying houses, gardens and yards with insecticides to kill mosquitoes. <a href="http://kickerdaily.com/venezuela-records-three-deaths-zika-virus/" rel="nofollow">Kicker Daily News</a>

• Venezuela reports three deaths linked to Zika virus • President Maduro said there are 319 confirmed cases of Zika virus in the country •...