Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Baby with Zika-linked microcephaly born in Spain

Associated Press

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.