Zika virus claims three lives in Colombia

06 February, Bogota

Zika virus has claimed three lives in Colombia . In the first direct statements from government health officials blaming Zika for causing deaths, Colombia’s National Health Institute said Friday, the patients died after contracting the virus and developing a rare neurological disorder.

The mosquito-borne Zika virus is sweeping through Latin America.

Meanwhile, citing the rise in babies born with abnormally small heads and brains, the UN human rights office has urged countries hit by Zika to give women access to contraception and abortion. Many Latin American countries outlaw abortion or allow it only if the mother’s life is in danger.