Up to 34 cases of Zika in Mexico: Health Ministry

After the Mexican authorities confirmed 34 cases of Zika in Mexico, Health Minister Mercedes Juan López expressed that the coordination with the state and municipal governments will be increased.

"The National Health System and all the institutions are prepared to reinforce the action placed for the last few years against dengue, then for chikungunya and for this disease," she said.

She pointed out that yesterday the World Health Organization determined a global emergency due to the Zika epidemic, transmitted by the same mosquito wich is also a vector for dengue and chikungunya.

During a visit by President Enrique Peña Nieto to the state of Puebla, she said that "this is a new disease in the Americas which began last year. Currently, in Mexico we have 34 confirmed cases.

"The most relevant aspect of this emergency is that is has been associated in Brazil with cases of microcephaly, which is the decrease in skull size in babies during pregnancy," she said.

Juan added that due to the international emergency all countries must comply with the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. "Mexico started to prepare for the arrival of this disease more than a year ago", she said.