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ZIKA ALERT : 45 Year Old Ilongga Tested Positive for Zika Virus Is Now Recuperating

DAVAO CITY – A 45-year-old married woman now staying in Iloilo has acquired Zika infection, a mosquito-borne virus linked to birth defects like microcephaly.

The Department of Health confirmed on Sept 3, that the said unnamed woman tested positive for the Zika virus, making her the sixth laboratory-confirmed case in the Philippines since 2012.

DOH undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo clarified that the unnamed Filipina came into the country already positive with Zika.

She was found positive through blood and urine tests, according to Undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo of the Department of Health (DOH) in a press conference in Manila yesterday.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the day-biting Aedes egypti mosquitoes that live and breed in clear, stagnant water. It is prompting worldwide concern because of its connection to a neurological birth disorder – microcephaly – and its rapid spread across the globe.

Among the symptoms of the Zika disease are fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis (red eyes), muscle pain, and headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States.

Because the Zika virus can be transmitted through sexual contact, too, the woman’s husband may also be tested, said Bayugo.

Bayugo however clarified that she's not pregnant and he didn't even had a chance to travel to some countries with reported Zika cases.

With skin rashes and joint pains, the woman was hospitalized last week and was eventually discharged. According to Tayag, she is now recuperating at home.

Sources : ManilaCoconuts | PanayNews