Zika update

Government does not collect data on zika for a month. Already 17 cases of infants with Zika microcephaly have been reported in three public hospitals The Health Department insisted that eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes may thrive is vital, particularly considering that their eggs can survive for up to a year. (File) (horizontal-x3) The Health Department insisted that eliminating stagnant water where mosquitoes may thrive is vital, particularly considering that their eggs can survive for up to a year. (Archive) The Department of Health suspended the epidemiological surveillance of zika more than a month ago, while the constant rains that are reported in the country threaten to trigger the proliferation of mosquitoes that transmit this disease. Since last September 15, five days before Hurricane Maria, the number of infections of this virus is unknown, which keeps doctors in the country concerned. "We are concerned about all the arboviruses (dengue, chikungunya and zika). There is going to be a blip because there has been an increase in mosquitoes, "said pediatrician Ricardo Fontanet. The doctor stressed that urge the elimination of stagnant water where mosquitoes can proliferate, particularly considering that their eggs can survive for up to one year. "It is necessary to be pending because the cases of dengue, zika and chikungunya will be mixed," agreed the also pediatrician Gerardo Tosca. Protecting pregnant women from these infections urges urgently, as the aftermath of the zika does not stop. Following the passage of Hurricane Maria on the island, two babies who tested positive for the virus are being held at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of one of the hospitals at Río Piedras Medical Center, said Dr. Inés García, a professor in the Neonatology of the Medical Sciences Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR). "They are delicate. We must see if there is any link between the virus and what they are presenting, "said Garcia. The doctor said that 344 babies from mothers who have been infected with zika have been identified during pregnancy, 17 of them with microcephaly. The cases were registered in only three institutions: Pediatric University Hospital, Municipal Hospital of San Juan and UPR Hospital, in Carolina. In Puerto Rico there are 70 hospital institutions, so the number of infants affected could be higher. Until April, the Department of Health had only reported seven cases of babies or fetuses with microcephaly following zika. The first of these births was announced in October 2016. "With this rise of so many mosquitoes (in the environment) and the lack of air conditioning, in addition to so much moisture, cases (of zika) are going to increase," said Garcia, who stressed that another baby is evaluated that possibly has microcephaly by zika and who is still hospitalized. "The most we have noticed in these babies (with zika or infected mothers) are problems in the retina. Hence the importance of monitoring them and making them aware, "he said. García urged continued epidemiological surveillance of both zika and other viruses that can proliferate through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes such as dengue and chikungunya. "Now more than ever we need the vigilance of all," he said. The latest arbovirus surveillance report from the Department of Health collects data for the week from August 27 to September 2. Up to that time 40,588 cases of zika had been registered in the country, including 4,047 pregnant women, 48 cases of birth defects and five deaths. Most of these babies are being followed up, although there are families with whom communication has been lost, he said. "Three clinics were lost (due to the effects of Hurricane Maria), but we are already seeing the babies again," Garcia added. Garcia referred to clinics offered at the University Hospital for zika patients during pregnancy, as well as follow-up on their babies. Dr. Carmen Zorrilla, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical Sciences Campus, stressed that currently all 344 cases are being reviewed.  "Retinal abnormalities have been found in normal babies of weight and size," he said. He added that it is estimated that, as in the United States, in Puerto Rico 6% of babies born to mothers infected with zika in pregnancy have congenital malformations. Although many people infected with zika do not present symptoms or only mild ones for up to a week, zika infection during pregnancy can lead to microcephaly and other serious defects in the fetal brain.
Dr. Johnny Rullan, an exepidemiologist from the state, commented that his estimates were for about 500 babies affected by zika on the island. He emphasized that this figure should include the terminations of pregnancy of fetuses affected by the virus. He also pointed out that it is estimated that half of the infected pregnant women were not tested, so that the effects of zika in Puerto Rico will continue to be observed.
At the end of this edition, it was not possible to get a reaction from the State's epidemiologist, Carmen Deseda, through a request made to Eric Perlloni, press director of Health.