The Ministry of Health in El Salvador announced they are investigating the deaths of two Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) patients last month and a possible link to the mosquito borne viral diseases Zika and chikungunya fever.

El Salvador/CIA
El Salvador/CIA

According to a La Pagina report (computer translated),  the head of epidemiological surveillance, Masís Rolando said, the cases are being studied to confirm an association or not.

In addition, the Health Ministry will be increasing controls and integrated monitoring of rash and fever diseases such as Zika in light of the detection of 46 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome. “We call on national health surveillance system to be a focal point for preparing a modification of the tiered alert to prevent cases of neurological diseases such as Guillain Barre continue,” said Minister Violeta Menjivar.

The alarming rate of GBS in recent months have been detected in the ISSS (24), 20 are in hospital Rosales and two in the hospital of San Miguel.

This all follows a recent Pan American Health Organization warning of  two people killed in Brazil was due to Zika virus infection neurological complications.

Local transmission of Zika infection was first noted in El Salvador in November 2015.

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