Joe Duggan (Reporter)
A PREGNANT woman in Spain has tested positive for the Zika virus in what is believed to be Europe’s first case.
Officials confirmed that the woman had recently returned from Colombia, where it is thought she was infected.
The health ministry said the woman was diagnosed in the north-eastern Catalunya region.
In a statement, health officials confirmed there were six other confirmed cases, two more in Catalunya, two in Castille and Leon, one in Murcia and one in Madrid.
“All are in good health,” the ministry said, adding that there was no risk that the virus would spread in Spain.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the virus a global health emergency.
It believes more than four million people could be infected by the end of the year.
The virus affects pregnant mothers and has been linked to babies being born with abnormally small brains.
Pregnant women have been advised not to travel to affected areas.
In Brazil, more than 4,000 babies are thought to have been affected in the past year.
