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TEGUCIGALPA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- So far this year, around 60 babies have been born with microcephaly in Honduras, with the majority caused by the Zika virus, an official said Thursday.
"We have a new total in the number of microcephaly cases. So far in 2016, we have 60 babies with this illness," Deputy Health Minister Francis Contreras told the media.
The number of microcephaly cases has doubled this year compared to that of 2015, Contreras said, adding that the number of microcephaly cases could reach 340 by the end of this year.
Currently, over 600 pregnant women infected with the Zika virus are being monitored in the country.
Microcephaly is a birth defect characterized by an unusually small head and an underdeveloped baby brain and is often accompanied by brain atrophy and neurologic abnormalities.
Zika virus is mainly spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Patients infected with the virus can have symptoms such as fever, conjunctivitis, muscular and joint pain, skin rashes and headaches.
Researches have found that there is a causal relationship between the Zika virus, microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that can result in paralysis and deaths.
