Europe First Zika Baby: Parent VERY EXCITED despite effects of disease

The parents of the first baby to be born in Europe with the Zika virus were “very excited” at the birth, say doctors.
His mother became infected during a trip to Latin America, where the disease is raging, although doctors will not reveal the country.
The boy, who microephaly, an ­abnormally small head caused by the disease, was born at the Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona.
Neonatal chief Felix Castillo said: “The baby did not require any resuscitation.
“Its head circumference is smaller than normal and it has microcephaly. The baby’s vital signs were normal and stable.”

The mum was 20 weeks into her pregnancy when she was diagnosed with the virus – along with dengue.
But she and the boy’s dad, who have not been ­identified, were determined to keep the child.
In fact head of obstetrics at the hospital Elena Carrera declared the couple were “very excited”.
The mum had the baby via caesarean 40 weeks into her pregnancy. A woman in Slovenia was carrying a tot with ­microcephaly but she had an abortion.

Zika is a virus mainly spread by mosquitoes. For most people it is a very mild infection and isn’t harmful, but it has been linked to birth defects.
Hundreds of adults from Europe have contracted Zika after spending time in countries such as Brazil, which is preparing for the start of the Olympics next month.
Scientists calculated how many people could become infected by the mosquito-borne virus in every five square kilometre region of Central and South America.
Prof Andrew Tatem, of the University of Southampton – a member of the Anglo-French research team – said: “These projections are an important early contribution to global efforts to understand the scale of the Zika epidemic.
“They also provide ­information about its possible ­magnitude to help allow for better planning for surveillance and outbreak response, internationally and locally.”

Since the horrific epidemic began in 2015, nearly 5,000 cases of ­microcephaly have been recorded in affected regions.