The latest addition to the ever-increasing newly emerging viral diseases is the Zika Viral Fever. Though it is a mild infection, the matter of serious concern is its relation to the congenital birth defect of microcephaly, Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological complications and brain damage, when it occurs in pregnant or expectant mothers, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy due to transplacental infection of the foetus. Recent outbreaks of Zika virus infection occurred across Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the pregnant and expectant mothers to avoid travel to the countries where this infection is prevalent, namely Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, French Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Puerto Rica, Paraguay and Suriname. Other countries where the…
