A of October 2016, 19 cases of Zika Virus infections have been reported in the Philippines. The mosquito-borne disease has already travelled so far since the first case was spotted last year in Brazil; there are now 60 coun tries that have reported numbers reaching as high as 400 patients, as in the case of Singapore. In the Philippines, the confirmed cases came from 4 regions: NCR, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas.
The Department of Health re cently released an advisory that gives key facts about the disease, along with tips towards its preven tion. According to the advisory, a Zika virus infection is caused by a flavivirus, and occurs in tropical countries with a large mosquito population. ll is transmitted Lo humans through the bile of mos quitoes from the Aedes genus, the same species that transmits Den gue and Chikungunya. The disease can also be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with a carrier, and the virus has been detected in blood, urine, amni otic fluid, semen, saliva, as well as body fluids found in the brain and spinal cord.
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