(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency)
BOGOTA, Colombia, Shawwal 20, 1437, July 25, 2016, SPA -- Authorities in Colombia have declared an end to the Zika epidemic in the South American nation, the second-hardest hit in the region from the mosquito-borne virus, according to AP.
The Health Ministry said Monday the number of cases of the virus have been falling steadily to as few as 600 per week compared to more than 10 times that amount at the outbreak's peak in February.
Since Zika arrived to Colombia in September of 2015 there have been almost 100,000 cases reported, although laboratory tests have confirmed only around 9,000.
Despite the lower risk of infection, authorities said that the virus will not disappear completely. It's also warning that many of the 17,730 pregnant women diagnosed with Zika have yet to give birth so the number of children born with birth defects linked to the virus could rise in the coming months.
So far this year, 150 children have been born with microcephaly, a rare condition that causes unusually small heads and improperly developed brains in babies.
--SPA
00:35 LOCAL TIME 21:35 GMT
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