St Lucia confirms first two cases of Zika, says contracted locally

File photo shows an Aedes aegypti mosquito inside a test tube as part of a research on preventing the spread of the Zika virus and other mosquito-borne diseases at a control and prevention center in Guadalupe, neighbouring Monterrey (Copyright Reuters 2016)

CASTRIES – A man and a woman in the Caribbean country of St. Lucia have locally contracted the Zika virus, which has been linked to hundreds of cases of a rare birth defect in Brazil, the first infections by the mosquito-borne virus in the island nation.

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) confirmed the two cases, St. Lucia's health ministry said at a news conference, adding that the individuals did not have a history of recent travel to a Zika affected country.