Manila: A 22-year-old woman pregnant with her first child is among the latest individuals to contract the Zika virus, officials in the Philippines have said.
Doctors are closely monitoring the unborn child’s condition for potential birth defects.
The woman from Cebu is among three new people diagnosed with Zika, bringing to 12 the total number of cases reported of the virus in the Philippines.
According to Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, the woman is 19 weeks pregnant.
“Initial ultrasound did not detect any fetal abnormalities, but she will be monitored regularly during the entire period of pregnancy,” the Health Secretary said during a press briefing.
Zika is primarily transmitted through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito — the same insect responsible for the spread of Dengue and Chikungunya.
In Brazil, where the first Zika case was reported, as well as in other countries, pregnant women who got infected at any time during their pregnancy have increased risk of giving birth to babies with congenital defects affecting the brain, including microcephaly.
Microcephaly is a condition where the unborn child develops an abnormally small head.
Aside from mosquito bites, other modes of Zika virus transmission include through sexual contact.
“The Department of Health (DOH) adds three new Zika cases to the list of confirmed cases in the country for 2016. There now a total of 12 cases. All were reported in September after tests conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM),” a statement issued by the health department said.
It added that the new cases did not have history of travel to an affected country a month before the onset of their illness.
Among the symptoms of Zika infection are the presence of skin rashes along with one of the following: fever, muscle or joint pains, conjunctivitis without eye discharge. All have recovered from their mild illness.
“Of these 12 cases, eight were female while age ranged from nine years to 55 years. Ten of these cases were from Region VI (Western Visayas) and one each from Region VII (Central Visayas) and NCR. The previously reported case from Laguna (CALABARZON) was traced to Muntinlupa upon verification. Among cases from Region VI, 9 were from Iloilo City and 1 from Oton, just a few kilometres outside Iloilo City,” Rosell-Ubial explained.
The number of Zika cases in the Philippines continues to multiply.
Health Department Spokesman and former RITM chief, Dr Eric Tayag earlier said, despite the increasing number of cases, there was still no “active transmission” of the virus.
“We have no active transmission, this means that we can still take steps to prevent the cases from spreading to other areas,” he had said adding that the current transmission was only confined to the affected household.
A relatively newly discovered illness, there are no vaccines for Zika virus yet.
Rosell-Ubial said that since Zika, Dengue, Chikunguya are from the same type of mosquito, coming up with countermeasures is simpler.
“We must remember that all these three viral diseases are from the same kind of mosquito. There are four things which we should remember, one is to deny these insects a place to breed. Another is to use insect repellent and mosquito nets. Use protection [to prevent] sexually transmitted diseases and seek early consultation with a doctor at the first sign of skin rashes and fever, joint pain or red eyes,” she said.
The Philippines recorded its first case of Zika in 2012. So far, there have been no reported deaths from local transmission of the disease.