Health Official Says 'No Justification' for Delaying Pregnancies in Mexico Over Zika Virus Rodolfo Pena Roja - Thomson Reuters Foundation
go to original January 27, 2016

What Is the Zika Virus? (Wall Street Journal)

There is currently "no justification" for asking Mexican women to postpone getting pregnant because of an outbreak of the mosquito-born virus Zika, a senior Mexican Health Ministry official said on Tuesday.

Zika, which has spread across the Americas, has been linked to brain damage in thousands of babies in Brazil, leading health authorities in Colombia and El Salvador to advise women against getting pregnant for anywhere up to two years.

There are 18 cases of Zika in Mexico, with 13 in the southern state of Chiapas, four in the northern state of Nuevo Leon and one in the western state of Jalisco, said Pablo Kuri, deputy minister for prevention and health promotion.

"In Mexico, right now, there is no justification to tell a woman not to get pregnant when we only have cases in three places," Kuri said in an interview.

"We'll have to see in the future, given the experiences in Central and South America, if these types of recommendations really have any effect. You can tell people not to get pregnant, but that doesn't mean they won't."

Read the rest at Reuters

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Related: A Glance at Zika Cases and Complications in Latin America (Associated Press)

Related: Women’s Rights Advocates Denounce Zika Advice for Latinas to Avoid Pregnancy (Latin Post)

Related: As Zika Virus Approaches Pandemic, World Health Executives Plan Emergency Action (Inverse)

Related: People with Chronic Illnesses Urged to Seek Advice Over Zika Virus Outbreak (Express & Star)

Related: WHO Expects Zika Virus to Spread to All But 2 Countries in the Americas (CNN)

Related: How to Avoid Mosquitoes Carrying Zika and Dengue Viruses (CNN)

Related: U.S. Ob-Gyn Group Supports Zika Virus Travel Precautions (HealthDay)

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