Peru declares Zika emergency across northern half of the country

Peru has declared Zika a health emergency across the northern half of the country after confirming that 102 people have been infected with the virus. 

The 90-day emergency was announced yesterday, which said the Health Ministry and local authorities were working to prevent the spread of the disease. The disesase is principally transmitted by mosquitos. The cases detected so far include 34 pregnant



women.

A major Zika outbreak in neighbouring Brazil, where nearly 1,600 babies have been born with the birth defect, has prompted concerns for athletes and visitors ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month.

Zika is seen as a cause of microcephaly, abnormally small heads and brains, in babies. There is growing evidence that in limited cases Zika can also be transmitted sexually.