US declares state of emergency in Puerto Rico over Zika

The U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico because of the widespread transmission of the Zika virus, which poses a “significant threat” to public health. The statement came at the request of Alejandro García Padilla, governor of the U.S. commonwealth, where the Zika virus is spreading […]

The U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services has declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico because of the widespread transmission of the Zika virus, which poses a “significant threat” to public health.
The statement came at the request of Alejandro García Padilla, governor of the U.S. commonwealth, where the Zika virus is spreading rapidly, threatening hundreds of pregnant women and their unborn babies and women of childbearing age.
The declaration will allow HHS to provide added support to the government of Puerto Rico to address the outbreak on the island.
As of August 12, the Puerto Rico health department has had 10,690 laboratory-confirmed cases of Zika, including infections in 1,035 pregnant women.