The first confirmed case of a pregnant woman contracting the mosquito-transmitted Zika virus has been confirmed by Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez at a public meeting in George Town yesterday (27).

There are now 17 confirmed locally-acquired cases of Zika.

With 9 confirmed cases of overseas transmissions this makes a total of 26 persons with Zika living here in the Cayman Islands.

UPDATE:

From The Cayman Islands Public Health Department

Zika Virus Update as of 26 September 2016

The total number of locally transmitted laboratory confirmed cases of the Zika virus reached 17, as of 26 September 2016. Laboratory diagnosed imported cases have increased to nine. The total number of all laboratory confirmed cases, local and imported, is 26.

· Since the last update on 19 September 2016, seven new cases were placed under investigation (during the week of 18 September 2016). These are suspected cases and are not yet confirmed cases. The blood samples for six cases were sent for testing at Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad.

· In addition, since the last update, 23 results have been received from CARPHA. Seven tested positive: four males and three females. One pregnant female tested positive.

· Two of the positive cases had travel history; the remaining five are classified as being locally transmitted. All are from the district of George Town but are not related.

· The onset of symptoms for all positive cases was between 23 August and 2 September 2016.

· Total number of cases investigated for the Zika virus since January 2016 is 207 as of 26 September 2016.

Further information can be obtained through www.hsa.ky. Regional perspectives on the Zika virus can be accessed by visiting the CARPHA website on http://carpha.org/zika. In addition, the global perspective can be accessed by visiting http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/