MADRID: Spain has recorded its first known case of the Zika virus being sexually transmitted, after a woman contracted it from her partner after he returned from a Latin American country, health authorities in Madrid said on Friday.
The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been linked to thousands of cases of the microcephaly birth defect in countries such as Brazil, which has declared a public health emergency over the disease. The birth defect is marked by babies born with brain abnormalities and undersized heads.
The woman's partner had been diagnosed with Zika shortly after returning from an unspecified country in Latin America in either late April or early May, a spokesman for Madrid's health authorities said.
The woman, who is from Madrid, probably contracted it just after he returned, the spokesman said. Spanish media reported that the woman is not pregnant.
Before the announcement of the new case, Spain had 158 known cases of Zika infections at last count, all of which resulted from travelling overseas.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The mosquito-borne Zika virus has been linked to thousands of cases of the microcephaly birth defect in countries such as Brazil, which has declared a public health emergency over the disease. The birth defect is marked by babies born with brain abnormalities and undersized heads.
The woman's partner had been diagnosed with Zika shortly after returning from an unspecified country in Latin America in either late April or early May, a spokesman for Madrid's health authorities said.
Before the announcement of the new case, Spain had 158 known cases of Zika infections at last count, all of which resulted from travelling overseas.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Four Reportedly Arrested After Spanish Teen Star Lamine Yamal's Father Stabbed Spanish Football Star Lamine Yamal's Father Stabbed In Car Park: Report New Cabinet Formed In Spain's Catalonia, Ending Decade-Long Separatist Rule Mamata Banerjee's Sunday Ultimatum To CBI For Death Penalty In Rape-Murder How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death "I Am Sorry": KTR Apologises For Remarks After Woman's Panel Begins Probe Hyderabad Restaurant Raids: Food Safety Violations Found In And Around DLF Cyber City, Gachibowli Russian Spies Were Stealing US Tech During Cold War. Then FBI Did This Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.