Latin America: Zika Virus Alert

Situational summary

WHO/PAHO reported: Autochthonous transmission of Zika virus
As of 1 December 2015, nine Member States in the Americas have confirmed autochthonous circulation of Zika virus: Brazil, Chile (on Easter Island), Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname, and Venezuela.1
Autochthonous circulation of Zika virus (ZIKV) in the Americas was first confirmed in February of 2014 on Easter Island, Chile, and cases were reported there up to June of 2014.
In May 2015, the first autochthonous cases of Zika virus in Brazil were confirmed. As of 1 December 2015, a total of 18 states in Brazil have confirmed autochthonous circulation: North region (Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins), Northeast region (Alagoas, Bahía, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, and Rio Grande do Norte), Southeast region (Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo), Central-West region (Mato Grosso), and South region (Paraná)(1).
In October 2015, the Colombia health authorities notified the detection of the first autochthonous case of Zika virus infection in the state of Bolívar.2 To date, 26 out of 36 territorial entities in Colombia have reported autochthonous circulation of the virus (2).
Additionally, in November 2015, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname, and Venezuela each confirmed autochthonous circulation of Zika virus. Read Full Article