First cases of Zika-linked microcephaly in SEA confirmed in Thailand
Southeast Asia’s first two cases of babies born with microcephaly that are linked to the mosquito-borne Zika virus infection were confirmed in Thailand on September 30. Local health officials did not disclose further information regarding the exact locations of the cases, but only said the cases are not in Bangkok.
The confirmation of the Zika-linked microcephaly cases came just a day after US health officials advised pregnant women to postpone nonessential travel to 11 Southeast Asian countries due to the increasing risk of Zika.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries across the region to act against the spread of the virus. “Countries across the region must continue to strengthen measures aimed at preventing, detecting and responding to Zika virus transmission,” Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the WHO’s regional director, said in a statement.
Zika was first identified in Uganda in 1947 and first isolated in Asia in the 1960s. It was unknown in the Americas until 2014. It has spread extensively in Latin American and the Caribbean over the past year or so, and has been cropping up more recently in Southeast Asia.
Thailand has confirmed 349 Zika cases since January, including 33 pregnant women, and Singapore has recorded 393 Zika cases, including 16 pregnant women.
Malaysia, which has reported six cases of Zika, including two in pregnant women, said it would seek information from Thailand on the particular strain of the Zika virus there.
Authorities in Vietnam, which has reported three cases of Zika, ordered stepped up monitoring of pregnant women.
In Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, head of disease outbreak and surveillance Dwi Oktavia said there had been no sign of any increase in birth defects there. Indonesia had one Zika case in 2015 but has confirmed none since then.
Health authorities in the region said they were stepping up monitoring, but there has been little testing and officials said the real number of cases was bound to be higher than the confirmed figure.
“We do not test everybody, we test only those who are symptomatic,” said Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubia, health secretary in the Philippines, which has reported 12 Zika cases. “Yes, we are positive that the number is higher because we are not testing everyone.”
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika currently. An estimated 80% of people infected show no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.
There are also no specific tests to determine if a baby will be born with microcephaly, but ultrasound scans in the third trimester of pregnancy can identify the problem, according to the WHO.
Microcephaly in babies can lead to respiratory problems related to malformation of the brain, a serious threat to the lives of babies. Children with microcephaly face lifelong difficulties, including intellectual impairment.
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