Cote d'Ivoire takes measures to avert spread of Zika virus

The Cote d'Ivoire government has come up with an elaborate plan to counter the spread of Zika virus whose first case was reported in Cape Verde within the West African sub-region.

"A plan to counter the spread of the Zika virus has been developed," an official source said Thursday.

Given the ease with which the virus spreads during travelling or commercial exchanges, the government has put in place a "control plan" for Abidjan and San Pedro town in the southwest region, the source affirmed.

The health minister has been instructed to take all necessary measures to prevent and fight against Zika virus, it concluded.

Since October 2015, Zika virus began spreading in Latin America, especially in Brazil where the virus has already infected 1.5 million people.

It is spread mostly by the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The disease can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects.

In Africa, the disease was reported in Cape Verde, directly threatening other West African countries like Cote d'Ivoire. Endit