Ecuador deploys 700 troops to combat Zika virus

Telesurtv.net reported Ecuador’s government announced Thursday that hundreds of soldiers will work to kill infected mosquitos and teach communities how to prevent infection.

Ecuador will send 700 troops to a coastal province to help the Health Ministry prevent the spread of the zika virus, which has already infected 22 Ecuadoreans and may have affected 67 more.

The virus, transmitted by mosquito, has spread across most of Latin American since a surge in infections was first detected in Brazil last October. Its symptoms include fever and joint pain that last about a week. It may also cause brain defects in children born to infected mothers.

SAFETY, HEALTH, SECURITY IN ECUADOR – READ THIS BOOK

Ecuador, which has expansive rainforests and includes part of the Amazon, conducted a similar military operation last year, when it deployed over 1,500 troops to prevent the spread of chikungunya, a virus with similar symptoms and transmission.

The first cases of zika in Ecuador were detected in a Colombian woman and her eight-year-old son who entered the country during the New Year holiday. Read Article