Canada confirms first case of sexual transmission of zika

Patient contracted partner of virus that was in a country that faces outbreak. sexual transmission of zika cases were registered in Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand and USA.



Canadian health authorities confirmed on Monday (25/04) the first case of sexual transmission of zika virus in the country. The patient is a resident of the Province of Ontario.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Department of Health of Ontario, the person, who did not have the identity revealed, had contracted the virus from a sexual partner who was infected by zika during a trip to a country affected by the outbreak disease.

The zika is mainly transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, has identified cases of sexual transmission of the virus in Argentina, Chile, France, Italy and New Zealand, and the United States.

Canada has confirmed 55 cases of zika in the country. All patients were infected during trips to countries facing the outbreak, which began in Brazil last year and spread to several countries in Latin America.

Earlier this month, health officials in the United States have confirmed the association between the infection by the virus and cases of microcephaly, and said the zika is "scarier" than previously thought.

In Brazil, the 1,168 confirmed cases of microcephaly, 192 tested positive for zika. Since 2015, 7,150 cases of poor brain training were reported in the country. More than 2,200 were discarded and about 3,700 are still under investigation.

The virus is also related to Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune reaction that attacks the body part of the nervous system, causing muscle weakness and paralysis.