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Vietnam says its first microcephaly case much likely caused by Zika

Xinhua, October 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The microcephaly of a baby from the central highlands region, the first case in Vietnam, is "much likely to be caused by Zika virus," a Vietnamese health agency said on Sunday.

The four-month-old girl from Dak Lak province has microcephaly, and this innate defect must have been related to Zika virus, said the Preventive Medicine Department under the Health Ministry.

Microcephaly is a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age.

The baby's microcephaly was first detected on Oct. 14, and specimens taken from her and her 23-year-old mother are being tested in Japan. The young woman had a fever and hives when she was pregnant.

To date, Vietnam has spotted nine Zika patients, including five from Ho Chi Minh City, and one each from Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Binh Duong and Long An provinces. Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong have declared Zika outbreaks at communal level. Enditem