MEXICO CITY – Honduras’ health minister says eight babies with severe birth defects linked to the Zika virus have been born in the Central American country.
Dr. Yolani Batres said Tuesday at a news conference that five of the babies with microcephaly were born this week.
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Batres says there are 493 known cases of pregnant women who have been infected with the Zika virus in Honduras.
Zika is mostly spread by mosquitoes, but cases of sexual transmission have also occurred. Some women who contract it during their pregnancies have given birth to babies with microcephaly, which leads to babies with abnormally small heads and improperly developed brains.
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The Pan-American Health Organization confirmed that through July 14, Honduras had not reported a case of microcephaly linked to Zika.
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