Puerto Rico's Zika Cases Increasing; No Pregnancies For Now, Says Health Officials

The Zika infection rate  is reportedly rising in Puerto Rico. Reportedly, a number of residents have failed to protect themselves against the deadly mosquito bites, which are believed to have made the Zika virus threat exaggerated in the entire country. The Puerto Rico federal and local health officials are feuding on which prevention techniques are the most effective, while the governor's special adviser on Zika virus has quit in disgust. According to the adviser, there are residents who did not take the warnings seriously.

Officials believe that thousands of Puerto Rico residents are infected each day, which includes more than 50 pregnant women in the list. A report says that a quarter of Puerto Rico's population may get infected with the Zika virus by December. There are about 5,500 confirmed cases today and 672 of those people are pregnant women, AL reported.

In an interview, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC said that the stunning number of infected people reflects an explosion of cases. The proportion of pregnant women who are positive for the Zika virus has risen sevenfold since January. Officials also warned that hundreds of infants may be born with microcephaly in the coming year.

The obstetricians in Puerto Rico are currently trying to persuade women to delay pregnancies for the time being and urging infected pregnant patients to have regular ultrasounds. For those fetuses that show signs of brain damage, abortion is quietly recommended, Tampa Bay Times reported.

The Zika outbreak also faces an issue over a chemical that the C.D.C. proposed spraying throughout the air. Called naled, it was reported to have successfully eliminated mosquitoes in Florida and Louisiana, but that it did not work in a 1987 outbreak in Puerto Rico. Naled is toxic to animals like fish, birds and bees, and is even banned in some European countries. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla did not support the proposal after protests from some citizens so the leaders are now discussing the spraying of another chemical called Bti.