Baby with Zika-linked microcephaly born in Spain
Mon., July 25, 2016
MADRID – Health officials in Barcelona say a woman has given birth to a baby boy with microcephaly associated with the Zika virus – the first detected case in Spain.
The defect was detected last May, and the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital announced Monday that both the mother and the infant are in stable condition.
The mother, who was not identified, had traveled earlier this year to South America where she contracted Zika. The mosquito-borne virus can cause microcephaly, in which babies are born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. The phenomenon was first detected in Brazil.
The Health Ministry’s website said Spain has recorded 190 cases of Zika infections, with all but one case contracted abroad. One case of sexual transmission was found in Madrid.
Local journalism is essential.
Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are not tax deductible, but are predominately used to help meet the local financial requirements needed to receive national matching-grant funds.
Subscribe now to get breaking news alerts in your email inbox
Get breaking news delivered to your inbox as it happens.