Honduras health officials announced earlier this week in a news release (see below) the confirmation of two Zika virus infections. The cases, were reported near the border with El Salvador, a country that has already confirmed autochthonous, or locally transmitted Zika virus infection.

Image/CIA
Image/CIA

The two individuals from the Valle department are home recuperating and in good condition.

This makes Honduras the fourth country in Central America with laboratory confirmed cases (Panama, El Salvador and Guatemala being the others) and the 10th country in the Western hemisphere to record local transmission of the mosquito borne virus in 2015.

In late November, the health ministry reported conducting integrated surveillance and control strategy based on existing plans and protocols due to the high-risk of entry of Zika virus into Honduras.

Zika virus was first isolated in 1947 in the Zika forest near Lake Victoria in Uganda (Africa). Since then the virus has been found mainly in Africa and Asia generating small and sporadic. However, in 2007 a major epidemic was described on the island of Yap (Micronesia), where about 75% of the population was infected.

Zika fever is a viral disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito caused by Zika virus, which is characterized by mild fever, rash (mainly maculopapular), headache, joint pain, muscle pain, malaise and non purulent conjunctivitis that occurs within three to twelve days after the bite of the mosquito vector. One in four people may not develop symptoms; however, those who develop symptoms are typically mild and last between two and seven days. The clinical appearance is often similar to that of dengue and chikungunya, which is also transmitted by the Aedes aegypti.