Europe’s first Zika microcephaly birth registered in Spain
In Spain, a woman infected with the Zika virus has given birth to a baby with the congenital condition microcephaly. This is thought to be the first such birth in the continent.
The couple decided to keep the baby even after authorities revealed in May that they had detected microcephaly in the fetus. Felix Castillo, the neonatal chief at Barcelona’s Valld’Hebron hospital, said that the child’s vital signs were “normal and stable”.
The baby was born by caesarean section after 40 weeks of pregnancy and it was confirmed that the circumference of the child’s head was “smaller than normal and that it has microcephaly”. Castillo said the child was being constantly monitored.
The case is believed to be the first in Europe as a pregnant woman in Slovenia who was found last month to have the Zika virus decided to have an abortion.
According to Spain’s health ministry, the country has had 190 known cases of Zika infection to date. Of those, 189 were contracted abroad, one by sexual transmission.
Authorities say the mother caught the virus on a trip abroad but did not specify in which country. The virus is prevalent in Latin America, particularly Brazil.
According to a report in the science journal Nature Microbiology, projections suggest about 93.4 million people will catch the virus, including roughly 1.65 million pregnant women.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency because of the risk to newborn children.Although Zika infection is largely mild, with most people having no symptoms, it is known to cause microcephaly.
In severe cases, children can die and babies who survive can face intellectual disability and developmental delays.