Laurence Dollimore
A FOETUS in Spain is the first in Europe to suffer from Zika virus birth defects.
A pregnant Catalonian woman was infected with Zika and dengue and her foetus is reported to show various defects.
Zika-related microcephaly sees babies born with abnormally small heads and often brain damage.
Spain hosts 105 people infected with the virus – who were infected either in Latin America or through contact with people from the region.
The Zika outbreak began in Brazil in 2015, and 1.5 million people have been infected since, spanning across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
There is no cure or vaccine to prevent or kill the virus, which is passed on by mosquitos or close sexual contact.
In most people there are only mild symptoms including rash, joint pain or fever, but babies born from Zika infected parents can suffer serious defects.
