THE Health department said Tuesday six more patients had tested positive for the Zika virus, bringing the total number of Zika infections to nine for the month of September alone.
“We have six new cases of confirmed Zika in the Philippines for this year,” Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag told reporters.
“This brings the total number [of cases] to nine following the three previous cases reported. All of these cases were reported by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.”
The Zika virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. People with the Zika virus disease can have symptoms including mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. Pregnant women afflicted by the virus is particulary at risk because it is known to cause microcephaly.
Tayag said the ages of those infected ranged from nine to 45 years old. Six of them were female but none of them was pregnant.
All those infected had no history of travel to other countries within a month after the onset of their illness.
The total number of Zika cases reported in the country is now 14, and of those four were foreigners.
“We are expecting that the number of reported cases will increase as we continue sending our Quick Response Teams,” Tayag said.
He said he would not be surprised if other cases would be reported in other parts of the country.