The Government, through the National Institute of Health (NIH), is conducting special surveillance for neurological manifestations related to Zika virus, according to a Minsalud report (computer translated).
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Alejandro Gaviria Uribe explained that since the beginning of the Zika outbreak in Turbaco (Bolívar) and reports of cases in French Polynesia and Brazil with neurological disorders and Zika fever, the NIH established the notification and monitoring of such cases.
With the discovery in Brazil, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) issued last December 1 an epidemiological alert, which notes an increase of 20 times the rate of microcephaly seen in previous years.
Colombia averaging more than 1000 Zika cases weekly for the past month
The Minister further said that for two weeks before issuing the alert PAHO by the Ministry of Health and the INS, in collaboration with the multilateral organization ago began the study to determine whether or not the relationship of Zika virus with cases of microcephaly in Colombia.
In the respective protocol development and construction of the baseline was conducted from the individual Registry provision of health (RIPS), according to data from 2009-2015 have been 837 cases of children with microcephaly, for an annual average of 129 cases. The study will show whether the presence of the virus Zika will increase the annual average.
Related:
- Suspected microcephaly cases in Brazil rise by 640 in past week
- Zika virus-microcephaly link confirmed, 1st Zika deaths reported: Brazil MOH
- Transfusion-associated Zika virus reported in Brazil
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