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Ottawa announces nearly $5 million in funding towards global Zika fight

Minister of Health Jane Philpott and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speak to reporters in the House of Commons foyer on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 11, 2016, regarding investments in the global fight against the Zika virus. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA – The federal government is contributing almost $5 million to the global fight against the Zika virus.

Health Minister Jane Philpott has announced an investment of $4.95 million for research into the mosquito-borne virus and for humanitarian aid to countries hardest hit by the epidemic.

READ MORE: Rio Olympics should be postponed due to Zika, says Canadian public health prof

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Zika has been shown to cause a neurological birth defect called microcephaly in babies born to women infected during pregnancy.

The virus has also been linked to cases of a sometimes paralyzing neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome in some infected children and adults.

READ MORE: Genetically modified mosquitoes to help fight the spread of Zika virus

Zika has become rampant in South and Central America, parts of Mexico and the Caribbean. More than 60 countries worldwide have been affected by the virus.

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To date, 68 Canadians have tested positive for the virus, most of them travellers to countries where Zika has reached epidemic levels. Scientists say some cases have been transmitted sexually from an infected partner.

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