ZIKA VIRUS SPREADING INTO EUROPE AS DANISH NATIONAL TESTS POSITIVE

Zika virus spreading into Europe as Danish national tests positive

The man is currently being treated in the city of Aarhus.

Wed 8:12 AM 23,003 Views 19 Comments

A two-month-old child in Brazil born with microcephaly

A DANISH NATIONAL has become the first European to test positive for the Zika virus.

They had recently travelled to South and Central America where thousands of people have been infected by the virus.

The virus can be hard to detect and carries a particular threat for pregnant women, with those infected giving birth to children with microcephaly – a condition characterised by a smaller head size.

Denmark’s national broadcaster DR is saying this morning that the infected man is being treated at a hospital in the country’s second largest city, Aarhus.

It is understood they presented to a doctor with flu-like symptoms, before tests revealed that it was the virus.

There is currently no cure or treatment for Zika, which has so far mostly been limited to South and Central America.

Last week it was announced that three UK travellers had been diagnosed with the Zika virus.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has issued travel advice to anyone thinking of going to any of the countries where it is prevalent, with pregnant women being advised to: “discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider and to consider postponing your travel to affected areas”.

Read: Zika virus: Travel warning issued for pregnant Irish women
Also: What you need to know about the ‘brain-shrinking’ virus now appearing in the US