Disease

Zika Virus - Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands

With the addition of 1145 new confirmed locally acquired Zika virus cases during the past week, health officials in Puerto Rico now put the island’s tally at 5582 cases since the arrival of the virus to the island in Dec. 2015.

Secretary of the Department of Health, Ana Ríus Armendariz also notes of the total, 119 additional cases were reported in pregnant women for a total of 672, 10 hospitalizations for a total of 65 and 2 cases of Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) for a total of 21.

In the US Virgin Islands, the Department of Health (DOH) reported nine additional Zika virus cases in the territory, bringing the total to 56 confirmed cases. 18 cases have been reported on St. Croix and 38 on St. Thomas.

Anthrax in Bulgaria

Health officials in Bulgaria announced that four cows had died from the bacterial disease, anthrax, in Silistra district in northeastern Bulgaria. Bulgaria reported a number of anthrax outbreaks in humans and animals in 2015.

India - Encephalitis

The Manipur health department today confirmed the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in the state with the detection of nine positive cases across six districts.

Director of the health department Okram Ibomcha Singh said nine positive cases had been confirmed so far and more blood samples are being examined. He, however, clarified that the outbreak has not taken the form of an epidemic.