Zika Virus Affects Pregnant Inmates in Rodrigo de Bastidas Prison, Colombia

• comments
• 
• 

Reports say that the mosquito-borne Zika virus has infected at least half of the inmates in a women's cellblock inside a prison in Colombia.

Of the 136 female inmates inside the Rodrigo de Bastidas Prison located in the city of Santa Marta, Colombia, at least 70 have shown symptoms of Zika virus, EFE reported. Some of those who were affected by the disease were pregnant.

Regional Ombud Yenny Sanchez said that, of those who were affected, five needed “to be hospitalized.”

Sanchez also warned about the current condition of the inmates inside the the prison and added that the Ministry of Health of the District of Santa Marta has assumed the role of caring for the affected inmates, reports El Heraldo (source translated via Google Translate).

Sanchez said that he has asked the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, to conduct the appropriate tests that will confirm if whether inmates have the virus or not.

Noe Saavedra, warden for Rodrigo de Bastidas, said that 10 officials have been sent by the Ministry of Health to conduct appropriate inspections.

While Zika does not generally lead to death, infections that occur during the first trimester of pregnancy has been linked to cases of microcephaly at birth.

Microcephaly is a condition in which babies in the womb have incompletely developed brains and skulls, ending up either deformed or abnormally small. Microcephaly often leads to mental retardation.

Zika has also been linked to the Guillain-Barré syndrome -- a condition in which the immune system attacks a body's nerves. Zika's connections to both conditions are under investigation.

The NIH reported that 11,712 Zika virus cases were registered in Colombia by the end of 2015. Of these, 1,834 were suspected and 297 affected women during pregnancy.

Zika virus is spread through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue and Chikungunya viruses.

According to the World Health Organization, symptoms of Zika virus infection include mild fever, rashes, headaches, arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia and non-purulent conjunctivitis. These occur about three to twelve days after being infected by a mosquito bite.

As there are no preventive vaccines nor medicines that could treat the virus currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that prevention is key and all necessary precautionary measures should be undertaken to avoid infection.

The CDC recommends that everyone, especially gestating women, should be cautious in traveling to regions or places where Zika has been confirmed. The use of insect repellant, long-sleeved clothing and pants are suggested, as well as lodging in accommodations with air conditioning and windows with screens.