Upon recording an additional 2,391 locally acquired, or autochthonous Zika virus cases during the first week of September, the case count on the island has surpassed 20,000 cases (22,358), according to an update from Secretary of the Department of Health of Puerto Rico, Ana Ríus Armendariz.
Image/CDC
Secretary Ríus Armendariz also noted there was a second fatality due to Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) in an elderly man who suffered from preexisting conditions like hypertension, diabetes, asthma and history of cancer.
165 additional Zika virus cases reported in pregnant women and two additional cases of GBS were noted during the week ending Sep. 8, bringing the totals to 1871 and 50, respectively.
Earlier this week, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it has awarded $13 million to the Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust (ST&R Trust) to establish the first Vector Control Unit (VCU) in Puerto Rico, which will oversee and implement comprehensive mosquito control activities to help prevent and manage diseases spread by mosquitoes.
As of Sep. 29, the CDC has reported 3,565 travel associated Zika virus cases, while Florida, the only state to confirm local transmission of Zika to date, now reports 124 cases.
Related:
- Chikungunya outbreak declared in Cavite
- Mumps cases continue climb in northwest Arkansas
- UNC researchers shed light on how hepatitis A causes liver injury
- Bernalillo County woman is 4th wound botulism case in New Mexico
- CDC Zika guidance update: Wait at least 6 months to conceive if man possibly exposed
One thought on “Puerto Rico Zika case count tops 20,000 during first week of September”