Health Department Records 23 Reported Zika cases in the Philippines as of Nov. 2

Image Caption: In this Sept. 29, 2016 photo, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for transmitting Zika, sit in a petri dish at the Fiocruz Institute in Recife, Brazil. Brazil has confirmed more than 2,000 cases of microcephaly so far, and Health Minister Ricardo Barros says almost all of these babies are enrolled in rehabilitation centers to stimulate development. More than half of the children are from poor households with a monthly income of less than $70. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

By Charina Clarisse Echaluce

There are four new reported cases of the Zika virus infection in the Philippines, the Department of Health (DOH) disclosed Friday, November 4.

The four new individual cases are reported in Bacoor, Cavite; Quezon City; Calamba, Laguna; and Las Piñas.

This bring to 23 the total number of infections this year as of November 2, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial disclosed.

“There are 23 cases. There are 12 [cases] in Iloilo, one in Muntinlupa, one in Cebu, one in Antipolo, two in Mandaluyong, three in Bacoor, one in Quezon City, one in Calamba, and one in Las Piñas,” Ubial said in an ambush interview in Quezon City.

The secretary further noted that no Zika-related deaths have been reported in the country.

Zika infection is characterized by fever lasting for two to seven days, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis. Other symptoms include muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes, and vomiting.

Despite being a mild disease, it became a big concern because of the birth defect being linked to it; which is microcephaly, wherein a baby’s head is smaller than ordinary.

None of the new cases, however, is pregnant, Ubial said.

(Source: MB.com.ph)