Zika Virus in South America
December 23rd, 2015As of December 10, 2015, the following South American countries have reported cases of Zika virus infection:
- Brazil(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/brazil)
- Colombia(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/colombia)
- Paraguay(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/paraguay)
- Suriname(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/suriname)
- Venezuela(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/venezuela)
CDC recommends that travelers to South America protect themselves from mosquito bites(http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites). The Ministry of Health of Brazil is concerned about a possible association between the Zika virus outbreak and increased numbers of babies born with birth defects. For this reason, pregnant women should take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Approximate known distribution of Zika virus, 1947–2007. Red circle represents Yap Island. Yellow indicates human serologic evidence; red indicates virus isolated from humans; green represents mosquito isolates. (Source: Hayes EB. Zika virus outside Africa. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2009 Sep [date cited]. Available from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/15/9/09-0442)
Countries that have past or current evidence of Zika virus transmission (as of December 2015) (Source: CDC)