Two more pregnant women with confirmed Zika virus

Two more pregnant women have been confirmed with the Zika virus, the Jamaican health ministry is reporting.

Dr Winston De La Haye, acting Chief Medical Officer, made the disclosure during an interview with Loop News.

He was speaking from a conference in St Lucia.

The Chief medical officer said this has brought the number of confirmed cases involving pregnant women to four.

All of the cases have been referred to a high-risk clinic, he said.
    
The number of confirmed cases of  Zika in Jamaica has increased to 24. Additionally, there are 1,788 suspected cases.

The Zika virus is largely spread by mosquitoes, but in rare cases can also be transmitted via sex. In most cases, Zika causes only mild symptoms like a fever and rash, but it is also responsible for severe birth defects including babies born with abnormally small heads and a rare neurological syndrome that can cause death or temporary paralysis.