Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Department of Health (DOH) said six more cases of Zika were reported this month. This brings the total number of Zika cases in the country to nine--with the virus spreading across three provinces.

Seven patients are from Iloilo City, one from Cebu City, and one from Laguna province. The ages of the patients range from 9 to 49 years old.

Health Spokesperson Eric Tayag said all these patients are expected to recover soon.

Early this month, the DOH reported the first locally transmitted Zika infection for the year-- a 45 year old woman from Iloilo. Two more cases were later reported, both from the same household as the index case. Tayag said the additional four cases in Iloilo live 10 kilometers away from the previously reported cases.

The DOH expects more infections to be recorded in the coming days.

Also read: DOH investigating origin of Zika virus in the Philippines

Tayag explained that the aedes aegypti mosquito - the carrier of Zika virus - is found throughout the country. Tayag however clarified, there is no active transmission of the Zika virus in the country--an "active transmission" means infection is widespread and the mode of transmission is unclear.

All reported cases of Zika so far were infected through mosquito bites. The virus can also be transmitted sexually.

"Halimbawa may kaso dito, 'di ba 'yung unang tatlo, the same household yun. Hindi masabing active transmission. Parehong household eh. Ngayon, more than 10 kilometers, merong kaso, pero alam naming kagat din ng lamok yun. Eh isa isa. So hindi rin masabing active, kasi isa lang eh," Tayag explained.

[Translation: For example, the case of the first three patients came from the same household. We can't say it's active transmission as it's the same household. Now, there are cases more than 10 kilometers away but we know it's from mosquito bites. We can't say it's active because these are isolated cases.]

Tayag said a national Zika action plan is in the works where the DOH is intensifying the capability of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for testing.

The DOH released ₱48M to buy 8,000 Zika testing kits. Only those who show Zika symptoms -- rashes, red eyes, joint pains and fever-- will be tested for the virus.

Related: DOH rolls out measures against Zika virus

Tayag said pregnant women should consult with their doctors to ensure a safe pregnancy. The Zika virus is linked with birth defects which includes microcephaly--which shrinks the unborn's head and brain, leading to developmental disorders.

"Ang mga buntis na gusto magpa-test-- sa prenatal visit ninyo magtanong kayo sa doctor kung kailangan ba ninyong magpa-test. Otherwise, use safe insect repellents at sa gayon mabawasan ang paglagay sa panganib," advised Tayag.

[Translation: Pregnant women who want to get tested should ask their doctors during their prenatal visit if they really need to get tested. Otherwise, use safe insect repellents in order to reduce the risk of getting infected.]

Watch: Preventing Zika virus spread

WHO: Zika in PH not a surprise

The World Health Organization (WHO) meanwhile assured the DOH of its full support in preventing the spread of the Zika virus.

WHO Country Representative Dr. Gundo Weiler said there are now 19 out of 37 countries in the Western Pacific Region found with Zika virus. Weiler said it was only a matter of time before cases were found in the Philippines.

"The fact that we see Zika in the Philippines and we detect more is not a surprise. We know there is a competent vector in the country, we know there is a lot of travel. We were assuming there is a likelihood Zika will appear in the country and spread to a certain extent," said Weiler.

Weiler commended the proactive testing of the DOH against Zika. He said the increase in the number of cases reflects the efforts of the DOH to crackdown on the virus. He said this is a welcome development at a time when countries are on alert against the spread of Zika.

"We will see more Zika being picked up so that, per se, is a development which is welcome because we will understand better in the future the circulation of the Zika in the country is," Weiler said.

Watch: Zika virus 101</s>THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has intensified its campaign in disseminating information on how to prevent the spread of Zika virus in the country.

According to a recent report from the Department of Health (DOH), six people have tested positive for the virus.

Four of the patients are from IloIlo province while the other two came from the provinces of Cebu and Laguna.

 This brings to nine the total number of confirmed cases in the Philippines this year.

It was also reported that the four new recently confirmed Zika virus cases in Iloilo are more than 10 kilometers away from the three cases earlier recorded in the city.

“As the World Health Organization (WHO) considered Zika as a global health threat, I immediately advised all our staff and the Red Cross’ 143 volunteers nationwide to lead the campaign to prevent the spread of the virus by closely monitoring affected areas and providing all necessary information and preventive measures to the public,” Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon said.

He added that they have mobilized all its chapters nationwide to make available helpful guides on how to prevent and deal with the disease through social media sites and other information sources, especially in Central Visayas where the recently confirmed cases were recorded.

Zika virus infection is characterized by mild symptoms such as mild fever, skin rashes, joint pain, fatigue, headache and red eyes.

So far, there is no vaccine yet against the virus.

Zika virus is transmitted directly by Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito species that transmits dengue and chikungunya.

It can also be passed on through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse with an infected person.

The Zika virus may cause a severe birth defect called microcephaly where babies are born with abnormally small heads.

The Red Cross urged the public to be more vigilant by protecting themselves against mosquito bites.

 Wearing light-colored clothes and using mosquito nets at home and insect repellents authorized by health authorities are highly advised.

The public is enjoined to eliminate all possible mosquito-breeding sites such as flower pots, old tires, bottles and any other containers where water can accumulate.

Soon after a Zika infection case was first monitored in the country in 2012, the Red Cross initiated various preventive activities like clean-up drives and public-health campaigns.

It also advised blood donors to defer their blood donations for one month if they are at risk of Zika virus exposure or have traveled to Zika-affected areas, to lessen the risk of passing the virus in the locality.</s>Red Cross mobilizes chapters to help in Zika virus drive

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) mobilized its chapters nationwide to help in the information campaign on how to prevent and deal with the Zika virus in the country.

PRC Chairperson Richard Gordon tasked the PRC chapters to post in social media sites information about the Zika virus, especially in Central Visayas where recently confirmed cases were recorded.

“As the World Health Organization (WHO) considered Zika as a global health threat, I immediately advised all our staff and Red Cross 143 volunteers nationwide to lead the campaign to prevent the spread of the virus by closely monitoring affected area and providing all necessary information and preventive measures to the public,” PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon said in a statement.

The Department of Health (DOH) said six people have already been tested positive for Zika virus – four of them from IloIlo and one from Cebu city and another one in Laguna.

There are already nine Zika virus cases in the Philippines this year.</s>Forty members of the Airline Operators Council (AOC) operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) terminals on Wednesday assured the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) of their full support to help prevent the entry into the country of mosquitoes carrying Zika virus through their aircraft.

Joanne Doromal, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines station manager and AOC treasurer, said their aircraft and those of the other AOC members are spraying insecticides approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) before taking off from their respective terminals or minutes before landing at the Naia terminals, as she assured the insecticides they use are safe to humans.

The AOC’s assurance came after a reported increase of patients afflicted with the virus in Iloilo, which reported seven cases, one in Cebu City and one in Laguna province. The ages of the patients range from 9 years old to 49.

“On our part, we assure our clients, passengers that we are doing everything to keep our airplanes safe from mosquitoes or any flying or crawling insect,” Doromal said, adding that part of their service was to surrender the empty canisters to officials of BOQ upon landing at the airport as “proof” that they did their obligation.

Meanwhile, the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) hired a pest control service provider to spray once a week all enclosed areas, from the ground floor up to the fourth level, where the airline offices are located. They use water-based chemicals for “misting” to protect passengers and airport users from mosquito bites.

BOQ doctor on duty Noel Ramirez said that women who are pregnant should not travel to Singapore. “If you like to travel you must consult your doctor first and strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during your flight,” he said.

“If you have a partner who lives in or has traveled to Singapore, either use condom or other barriers to prevent infection or do not have sex,” he added.

According to WHO Country Representative Dr. Gundo Weiler, there are now 19 out of 37 countries in the Western Pacific region found with Zika virus. Weiler said it was only a matter of time before cases were found in the Philippines.

“The fact that we see Zika in the Philippines and we detect more is not surprising. We know there is a competent vector in the country; we know there’s a lot of travel. We were assuming there is a likelihood Zika will appear in the country and spread to a certain extent,” Weiler said.

Weiler commended the proactive testing of the department of health (DOH) against Zika. He said the increase in the number of cases reflects the efforts of the DOH to crack down on the virus.

He said this is a welcome development at a time when countries are on alert against the spread of the virus-carrying mosquitoes.</s>Three more cases of local transmissions of the Zika virus have been confirmed through laboratory testing, bringing the total number of Zika cases transmitted locally to 12, according to the Cayman Islands Public Health Department.

An additional seven cases of the Zika virus were confirmed as having been imported to Cayman, the department said, bringing the total number of Zika cases in the islands to 19.

Aside from the confirmed Zika cases, another eight instances were placed “under investigation” by the health department, but have not been confirmed.

All of the locally transmitted Zika cases involve residents in George Town district.

Cayman has investigated 200 reported cases of Zika since January.</s>(CNN) The mosquito-borne Zika virus is spreading around the globe. Researchers are learning new information about the virus every day. Here is the latest news and research.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the Centers for Disease Control announce the lifting of a ban on travel to the small Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, saying that aggressive mosquito-control efforts have been successful in reducing the population of Zika-carrying mosquitoes. Wynwood was the subject of a historic ban on travel when, on August 1, the CDC told pregnant women not to travel to the 1-square-mile area of active Zika transmission.

However, just two days earlier, on September 17, Florida officials warned that a Zika transmission zone in Miami Beach has tripled in size

The Puerto Rico Department of Health announces that there have been 10,690 cases of the Zika virus confirmed, including 1,035 pregnant women. The Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency there at the request of the governor. Secretary Sylvia Burwell said efforts are underway to fight the virus with a priority on protecting pregnant women.

Burwell is redirecting $81 million from elsewhere in the department to continue efforts to fight the Zika virus. She said in a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi that she was exercising her authority to transfer $34 million from within the National Institutes of Health and $47 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to keep "Zika-related activities" going. Without that, she said, the unused Ebola money they have been using since April will run out by the end of August and prohibit phase II of the Zika vaccine trial.

August 10, 2016: Virus found in semen six months after exposure

August 9, 2016: Zika may cause joint problems in babies

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases begins infecting healthy volunteers with an experimental DNA-based Zika vaccine. The research team hopes to enroll 80 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35 at three locations. Participants will be followed for 44 weeks after receiving the vaccine at various intervals for 20 weeks.

In an unprecedented move, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned pregnant women to steer clear of the Wynwood neighborhood in downtown Miami. This is the area where at least 15 people have been infected with the Zika virus by local mosquitoes carrying the disease.

July 29, 2016: Health officials confirm local mosquito transmission in the US

Florida health officials say four individuals in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were infected with the Zika virus by local mosquitoes. These are the first known cases of the virus being transmitted by mosquitoes in the continental United States.

"As we anticipated, Zika is here," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC.

Officials believe that the local transmission is confined to a small area north of downtown Miami and that transmission occurred in early July.

Researchers at Brazil's Fiocruz research institute announce that they have found the Zika virus in some Culex mosquitoes in Recife, a coastal city that has been labeled as the "hot zone" for the virus. Culex mosquitoes are sometimes called common house mosquitoes. The presence of the virus in these mosquitoes alone does not mean they can transmit the virus. Experts maintain that Aedes mosquitoes are the known vector.

July 18, 2016: Health officials investigate how family member of person who died of Zika became infected

The CDC reports the first known case of a female with the Zika virus infecting her male sexual partner with the virus after they had unprotected vaginal intercourse. "This is the first documented case of sexual transmission of Zika from a woman to her sex partner and adds to the growing body of knowledge about the sexual transmission of Zika," the agency said in a news release.

All previous reported cases of sexual transmission of Zika have been transmitted by a man to his sexual partner.

The CDC said it was updating recommendations to protect against sexual transmission of the virus after travel to those who could become infected by a female.

July 8, 2016: Health officials report first Zika-related death in the continental US

Utah health officials report an elderly patient who died in June was the first Zika-related death in the continental United States. Lab results confirming the unidentified individual was infected with the virus were not available until after the person died. The Utah resident had traveled to a country where the virus is circulating and had an undisclosed underlying medical condition.

June 16, 2016: CDC reports six Zika-infected babies in the US

June 15, 2016: Babies born to women with Zika late in pregnancy fare better

June 2, 2016: Case report questions whether Zika can be transmitted by kissing

May 31, 2016: Baby born in N.J. with Zika-related microcephaly

A baby girl was born with "significant microcephaly" at Hackensack University Medical Center. The mother, who does not want to be identified, is from Honduras. Doctors believe she contracted the virus during her second trimester of pregnancy. She traveled to New Jersey, where she has relatives, in search of better medical care, knowing that her baby was at risk for having Zika-related problems.

May 31, 2016: WHO updates guidelines for sex after travel to Zika areas

May 26, 2016: Stronger evidence of eye problems among babies born with Zika-related birth defects

May 25, 2016: Report estimates pregnant women with Zika have up to 13% risk of have an affected baby

May 23, 2016: Researcher accidentally infects herself with the Zika virus

A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh accidentally infected herself with the Zika virus while conducting an experiment in a lab, the university and local health officials later said. She developed symptoms nine days later. She has since recovered and returned to work.

May 17, 2016: Zika virus is cloned, paving way for vaccine

May 13, 2016: First US case of microcephaly from locally transmitted Zika

A baby is born in Puerto Rico with microcephaly, the first case in the United States or a territory linked to local transmission of the virus. Previously, a Hawaiian woman had given birth to a child with the condition, but she had gotten the virus while traveling abroad.

April 29, 2016: First US death from Zika complications

April 7, 2016: Zika definitely causes microcephaly and Guillain-Barré

April 6, 2016: Zika is transmitted by sex in Texas

February 26, 2016: CDC to pregnant women: Don't go at all

The CDC hardens its advisory on travel, telling pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant not to travel to any of the countries where Zika is circulating, including Brazil for the August 5-21 Olympic Games and the September 7-18 Paralympic Games.

February 17, 2016: No link between pesticides and Zika

February 5, 2016: CDC to men: Use a condom, or don't have sex

January 15, 2016: CDC warns pregnant women to think twice

Brazil declares a national public health emergency as numbers of infants born with microcephaly continue to rise.

Nine months after the first cases of Zika, women begin to give birth to babies with an unusual birth defect, microcephaly, in which the baby's head and brain do not develop normally.

February 2015: Brazil sees first cases of Zika but doesn't know what it is

From February through April, Brazil sees 7,000 cases of a mild viral reaction, characterized by rash, fever and red eyes. Zika isn't identified in the blood samples until May. By July 2015, doctors begin seeing a few cases of Guillain-Barré.

In addition, 1,505 blood donors who had no symptoms of the virus test positive for Zika, alerting authorities that the virus could be transmitted via transfusion.

Throughout the year, Zika spreads among more islands in French Polynesia and the South Pacific. In December, an elderly man returns to the hospital after recovering from the illness, complaining of bloody sperm. Doctors find alarming amounts of the virus in his semen, providing the first evidence that the virus can hide and grow in the immune-privileged area of the testes.

Researchers find two geographically distinct lineages of the Zika virus, one from Africa and another from Asia, showing that the virus has mutated. The Yap Island outbreak came from the Asian strain.

September 2008: First case of sexually transmitted Zika in US

The first large outbreak of Zika in people is documented in the Federated States of Micronesia on the island of Yap. Nearly 73% of the island's residents get the virus. Before this, according to the WHO, there had been only 14 cases of Zika in humans anywhere in the world.

Tracking the virus via mosquito, researchers find that Zika is spreading across Africa toward Cape Verde while making its way to India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan.

While researchers had found antibodies in the blood of people in both Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania as far back as 1952, this is the first known case of active virus in humans. The infected man developed a pinkish rash over most of his body but reported the illness as "mild," with none of the pain associated with dengue and chikungunya.</s>The total number of locally transmitted laboratory confirmed cases of the Zika virus reached 12, as of 19 September 2016. Laboratory diagnosed imported cases remain at seven. The total number of all laboratory confirmed cases, local and imported, is 19.
• Since the last update on 13 September 2016, eight new cases were placed under investigation during the week of 11 September 2016. These are suspected cases and are not yet confirmed cases.The blood samples for four cases were sent for testing at Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad.
• In addition, since the last update, five results have been received from CARPHA. Three tested positive: one male and two females. One pregnant female tested negative and one female is pending further investigation.
• None of the positive local transmissions have reported travel history, which indicates continued local transmission. All are from the district of George Town but are not related.
• The onset of symptoms for all positive cases was between 16 and 20 August 2016.
• Total number of cases investigated for the Zika virus since January 2016 is 200 as of 19 September 2016.

Further information can be obtained through www.hsa.ky. Regional perspectives on the Zika virus can be accessed by visiting the CARPHA website on http://carpha.org/zika. In addition, the global perspective can be accessed by visiting http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/zika/en/</s>Justin Julander, a research professor at Utah State University, said he believes he’s discovered a vaccination to put an end to the spread of Zika virus.

In December 2015 Julander received funding from the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to research and find a cure for Zika virus. Nine months later he believes he has done just that.

“We’ve identified several anti-viral agents and a few vaccines that are effective in treatment and prevention of Zika,” Julander said.

Julander will submit a paper about his discoveries for publication this week.

Up to this point, these vaccinations have only been tested on mice and still need to be tested in clinical trials before they can be distributed to those infected or at risk of infection.

Zika virus has been around since the early 1800s and was first discovered in South Africa. Since the time of the discovery Zika mutated and spread throughout Central and Southern America. One of the new symptoms of the mutated virus is it causes infants to be born with microcephaly — a birth defect that causes infants to be born with shrunken heads.

Even with the discovery of these vaccinations, Julander and the other scientists on his team are concerned there are other undiscovered dangers that Zika virus holds.

“With Zika, we still really don’t know much about it,” said Skot Neilson, the team’s lab supervisor.

Neilson and his colleagues, specifically, are concerned about some of the long-term effects Zika might have on males.

Once his paper is submitted, Julander plans to request a grant that will allow him to look into some of these long-term effects, including the possibility of Zika being transmitted to another person through intercourse.

One of Julander’s interns, Chad Clancy, who specializes in anatomic pathology, theorizes that Zika virus can infect reproductive tissues in males, and when infected males engage in intercourse the virus will be able to spread to their partner.

Clancy will not be able to test his theory until he receives a grant from USU, which he believes won’t be difficult.

Julander’s team has been surprised and grateful for how much funding they have received for their research with Zika, but also expressed concern that the reason for the increase in funding is due to the public’s lack of understanding about the virus.

“There is so much disconnect between where the science actually is and what the public sees,” Clancy said.

Until more can be discovered about the virus, this is Julander’s advice for the public:

“If you go to areas where Zika is found, make sure you wear your mosquito repellent. It’s not something to be scared of,” he said. “Just be aware of it and educated and take the proper steps to keep yourself safe.”</s>Total number of Zika infections in Singapore rises to 381

SINGAPORE — Singapore confirmed 12 new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection over the weekend, bringing the total number of Zika infections in the city state to 381, according to the update of National Environment Agency (NEA) on Monday.

The update on the website of NEA showed no new cases were reported on Monday. There are now nine Zika clusters in Singapore, as two cases emerged in a new cluster at Hougang Avenue 7 over the weekend.

Three new cases were in the initial cluster in Aljunied/Sims Drive, which has reported 286 cases so far. Another two cases were detected in Elite Terrace cluster, bringing the total number of cases there to 13.

The first case of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in Singapore was detected on Aug. 27, and the first case of pregnant woman with Zika was reported on August 31.</s>JOHOR BAHRU: A married couple who was infected with the Zika virus in the state has been confirmed free of the virus, said Chairman of the State Health and Environment Committee, Datuk Ayub Rahmat.

He added that blood and urine tests conducted on them proved negative for the virus.

Earlier, Head of the Vector-Borne Disease Control Unit in the State Health Department, Dr Roslinda A Rahman said the couple was allowed to go home last week.

“In the case of the woman who was pregnant, the midwifery experts will monitor her condition and that of her baby. She has also been advised to go for fortnightly checks to monitor the development of her baby,” she told reporters

 after a briefing on the search-and-destroy operations, here today.

Dr Roslinda said to date, 62 of the 64 cases examined for suspected Zika virus infection has been found to be negative.

“At present, those who go to health clinics and hospitals with rashes, conjunctivitis, and fever, we will suspect them of being a Zika case even though they had not gone to Singapore.

“We will observe, analyse and send their blood and urine samples to determine the presence of the Zika virus, and they will be warded for observation, until we find them negative, then we will discharge them,” said Dr Roslinda.

Meanwhile, the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) will conduct the search-and-destroy 2.0 operation with the help of the State Health Department on Sept 24, in an effort to control the spread of the Aedes mosquito.

MBJB Health Director Dr Rahim Tumin said the operation which would be carried out simultaneously throughout the MBJB district, covering an area of 330 square kilometres with about 700,000 residents, would involve about 100 personnel from the council and health department.

As of Sept 10, there have been 3,512 dengue fever cases in MBJB district compared to 3,542 during the same period last year.-BERNAMA
Authorities diagnose six more cases of the Zika virus in the provinces of Cebu and Iloilo in the Visayas and Laguna province near Metro Manila, Philippines.