First Zika case detected in country

First Zika case detected in country

A man in his 60s has been identified as patient infected with Zika virus in Chittagong.

This is the first case of Zika as detected in Bangladesh.

State minister for health and family welfare Zahid Maleque confirmed this to the press on Tuesday.

He was speaking on Dengue fever prevention at the health ministry in Dhaka.

IEDCR (Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research) director Mahmudur Rahman told Prothom Alo that samples of different patients were collected from IEDCR, Dhaka Medical College, Uttara Adhunik Medical College, Khulna Medical College and Chittagong Medical College to observe dengue outbreak in the country.

Zika virus was found in one sample from Chittagong Medical College, he added.

The Zika-affected man’s sample had been sent to World Health Organisation on 13 March and WHO confirmed it as Zika virus.

Source: Prothom Alo