Two Maldivians test positive for Zika
Two Maldivians have tested positive for the Zika virus since the authorities began a surveillance programme to determine if the mosquito-borne virus is spreading in the country.
17 Dec 2016, 9:00 AM
Two Maldivians have tested positive for the Zika virus since the authorities began a surveillance programme to determine if the mosquito-borne disease is spreading in the country, the Health Protection Agency said Friday night.
Some 517 Maldivians have been tested so far, the HPA said in a statement, but did not reveal details of the first cases of locals infected with Zika.
The government-run tertiary hospital in Malé began testing fever patients in October after two European tourists who visited the Maldives earlier this year tested positive for the virus.
The HPA previously said the virus infection was detected after they left the country but was “possibly acquired in Maldives,” prompting a warning from the World Health Organisation of “possible endemic transmission.”
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