Six more suspected cases of the Zika virus are under probe, Korean health authorities said Thursday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that six new suspected cases were reported from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday morning, totaling 13 cases reported here so far.
Of them, the first seven cases tested negative.
Health officials spray mosquito repellent as part of preventive measures against the Zika virus at the underground septic tank of an apartment in Oksu-dong, Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)
The health agency conducts the test for Zika virus along with dengue fever and chikungunya virus, as the three bring similar symptoms. The tests take a total of 24 hours to process, they said.
Earlier last month, the Korean government included Zika on its list of priority diseases as part of its efforts to prevent the possible outbreak of the virus. This mandates medical institutions immediately report cases to health authorities.
It also vowed to step up the monitoring and release guidelines for pregnant women, who are suspected to be most vulnerable to Zika.
(khnews@heraldcorp.com)
