58 cases confirmed in Spain

yinka ogunlami

March 29, 2016 10:40 AM

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are seen at the Laboratory of Entomology and Ecology of the Dengue Branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in San Juan, March 6, 2016.

The Spanish Ministry of Health on Monday, March 28, 2016 confirmed 58 cases of Zika infection in Spain.

All known cases of the virus is said to have been imported from Zika infected countries.

Read: Scientists breeding 20 million male mosquitoes to fight virus

The ministry said that the only mosquito capable of transmitting the Zika virus in Spain is the , (which is limited to a certain habitat. This makes the chance of one person contacting the virus rare.

Fifteen new cases was discovered in the last two weeks with nine of them being pregnant women.

In bid to eradicate the Zika virus, scientists of , China and , USA led by Xi Zhiyong are breeding mosquitos to copulate with wile female mosquitoes.

According to , the scientists are breeding 20 million male mosquitoes per week, to copulate with the wild female mosquitoes causing the zika virus.

Read: Cape Verde identifies first case of microcephaly

In a related development, is using the Wolbachia bacteria to reduce the ability of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to transmit disease.

Wolbachia will reduce the ability of insects to become infected with viruses, including the dengue virus. If mosquitoes cannot become infected with dengue, they cannot transmit the virus between people.

The Global Eliminate Dengue Program, so far has released the Wolbachia infected mosquitoes in Austrailia, Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia.

Watch all you need to know about Wolbachia bacteria below ;

yinka ogunlami

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