Dominican Republic confirms 10 Zika cases
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic _ Health officials in the Dominican Republic say 10 cases of the Zika virus have been confirmed in the country.
Health Minister Altagracia Guzman said Saturday blood samples from 27 patients were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that 10 came back positive. The mosquito-borne virus has spread from Brazil throughout Central and South American and the Caribbean over the last year.
Brazilian authorities blame it for a wave of birth defects. While international experts say the link isn’t yet proven, they’re taking precautions.
The CDC issued a warning this month for pregnant women about travel throughout much of Latin America and the Caribbean. Dominican officials are urging women to take precautions and have launched a fumigation and cleanup drive to eradicate mosquito-breeding areas.
Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
