CARACAS, Venezuela—Venezuela has announced the first Zika-related deaths in the South American country.
President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday that at least three people have died in Venezuela due to complications related to the mosquito-borne Zika virus. He added that 68 people have been hospitalized with complications confirmed to be related to the virus.
Maduro did not say what the complications were or how the deaths had been confirmed to be Zika-related. Venezuela is reporting more than 5,000 suspected cases of Zika since November of last year. Local health organizations say the real number of Zika is likely much higher. Investigators are studying a possible link to Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can cause temporary paralysis and is sometimes fatal, and to birth defects. In Australia, pregnant woman has tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling overseas—the second such case this week, health officials said on Friday.
The woman, from Victoria state, was diagnosed with Zika after returning from a country where the mosquito-borne virus is prevalent, Victoria Health Minister Jill Hennessy said. She declined to release any other details about the case, including where the woman had traveled, citing patient privacy.
Earlier this week, a pregnant woman in Queensland state was also diagnosed with Zika after traveling abroad. Experts say the risk of Zika spreading across Australia is extremely low.
The type of mosquito that carries the virus only lives in the far northeast corner of the country, which is sparsely populated. “My primary concern today is not about a public health risk, but a woman who is dealing with the anxiety of receiving news that is incredibly concerning,” Hennessy told reporters.
The Zika virus has spread quickly through Latin America. Most people who contract it have either mild or no symptoms, but it is suspected of causing a birth defect that results in babies born with abnormally small heads.
Image credits: AP/Ricar do Mazalan