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According to Reuters, at least 72 babies were born with microcephaly in Angola, Africa, between February 2017 and May 2018.
These cases of Zika virus have been largely unreported, but an internal report of the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed by Reuters has provided "strong evidence" of a microcephaly cluster linked to Zika in Angola.
In an e-mail response to Reuters' questions, the Angolan Ministry of Health reported that 41 cases of zika and 56 cases of microcephaly have been reported since January 2017.
Reuters said: "The reason the figures differ from those of the WHO internal report was not immediately understood."
Angola is located on the southwest coast of Africa.
The lack of data and diagnostic tests, coupled with a terribly inadequate Angolan health system, made it difficult to monitor the Zika epidemic.
According to the Ministry of Health, only one Angolan laboratory is currently testing Zika.
Microcephaly is a condition in which a baby's head is much smaller than expected, according to the WHO.
New findings by a research team in Portugal suggest that it is the first on the African continent involving the Asian strain of the disease, Reuters said.
It is the Asian strain Zika that caused at least 3,762 cases of congenital malformations, including microcephaly, related to Zika in Brazil since 2015.
Doctors and researchers now fear that this strain of Zika will spread from Angola to other countries on the African continent.
"All cases of microcephaly probably can not be attributed to Zika," said the ministry, citing a series of other potential causes, such as syphilis and rubella.
This Angolan epidemic comes at a time when the world's attention has shifted from Zika, Reuters said.
"We can not give up our attention," said Dr. Eve Lackritz, doctor who heads the WHO Zika virus working group.
"We must remain vigilant and have a sustained response."
The Zika virus was first discovered in the Ugandan rainforest in 1947. Over time, the virus has diverged into two genetically distinct lineages – the African and Asian lineages – and has not been associated with any major epidemics. magnitude.
Recent news about the Zika virus:
Previously, on August 10, 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had issued a report stating that about 14% of infants infected with the Zika virus in utero had at least one health problem at the same time. 39, age 1 year.
The rate of brain or ocular abnormalities in this ratio was 30 times higher than that observed in infants and children without Zika.
These CDC researchers analyzed data from the American Pregnancy and Zika Infant Registry for 1,450 American children at least 1 year old whose mothers had confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy.
This finding underscores the need for ongoing surveillance, especially since some of the abnormalities were not apparent at birth.
"The story of Zika is not over, especially for children and families directly affected," said Peggy Honein, Ph.D., MPH, Director of CDC's Division of Developmental Disorders and Congenital Disorders. .
As of October 3, 2018, 46 cases of Zika had been reported in 13 states and 98 in the United States.
The state of California has reported 16 cases of Zika virus in 2018.
Most of these travel-related Zika cases have been identified among people who have returned to the United States from Mexico or Central America, the CDC says.
In addition, on October 11, 2018, the CDC updated its Alert Level 2, Enhanced Precautionary Practices, for different countries.
These CDC travel alerts include countries from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, the Pacific Islands and South America.
All travelers to these hot Zika areas must carefully follow the measures to prevent mosquito bites during and after the trip.
Because contracting a Zika virus infection during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, pregnant women should not travel to the hot areas of Zika, says the CDC.
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