Highlights
ZIKA VIRUS: 26 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reported cases of Zika virus. An increase in microcephaly among newborns and cases of Guillain- Barre syndrome have been reported, with suspected links to the Zika outbreak. Brazil is the most affected country with an estimated 1.5 million people affected, followed by Colombia with 31,500 cases.
RAINS AND FLOODS: 31,000 people are affected in Bolivia by various weather events linked to El Niño Phenomenon. In Colombia 600 people are affected and 140 houses damaged due to flooding.
Zika Virus
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Surinam and Venezuela have reported cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The spread of the Zika virus, suspected to cause increased cases of children born with microcephaly, continues in the region.
However, according to WHO "the cause in the increased incidence of Guillain-Barré syndrome remains unknown, especially at a time when the virus of dengue, Chikungunya and Zika have been circulating simultaneously in America."
Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes and the current outbreak has affected 34 countries worldwide, including 26 countries in the Americas. Brazil is the most affected country; the authorities estimate that 1.5 million people have been infected with the virus since beginning the outbreak.