Colombia confirms first three deaths of patients infected with Zika virus

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Colombia confirms first three deaths of patients infected with Zika virus

Patients had contracted a seemingly related disease that attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis, and another two deaths were still unconfirmed

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá
Thursday 4 February 2016 17.12 EST Last modified on Thursday 4 February 2016 17.26 EST

Colombia has confirmed the first three deaths of patients infected with the Zika virus who had contracted a seemingly related disease that attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis.

Alejandro Gaviria, the health minister, told the Guardian that another two deaths caused by the disease – known as Guillain-Barré syndrome – were still unconfirmed to be Zika-related.

Health officials in the country’s second city, Medellín, reported on Thursday that a man and a woman admitted from other areas died in the past week after presenting symptoms of Guillain-Barré, which include muscle weakness and paralysis. Another man died in late November. All three tested positive for the Zika virus.

Gaviria said Colombia has registered about 100 cases of GBS that are believed to be related to the Zika virus. Overall, Colombia has recorded more than 20,500 confirmed cases of Zika infection.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/colombia-zika-virus-first-deaths-patients

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

1. Damn.

nt

[ErikJ]

2. Its AKA as Dengue fever.

which is usually not fatal 1st infection but worse with 2nd infection being sometimes fatal.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Another bit of news that is not really news. Any viral infection can cause GBS, including influenza.

The numbers cited---100 cases of GBS out of 20,000 confirmed cases of Zika with only three deaths make Zika less deadly than flu.

I guess they are trying to make it scarier than it already is---which is plenty scary if you are expecting a child.