Spanish Medical Authorities Register Over 200 Zika Virus Cases

237 cases of Zika virus, including infection cases among 38 pregnant women, were registered by Spanish authorities, according to the statement of Spain's Social Services and Equality Ministry.

MADRID (Sputnik) — Spanish medical institutions have diagnosed a total of 237 cases of Zika virus, including infection cases among 38 pregnant women, the country's Health, Social Services and Equality Ministry said on Tuesday.

Eight cases out of the total number were diagnosed over the past week, the ministry said.

With 91 Zika-infected individuals, Catalonia ranks first among the regions most affected by the virus. It is followed by the country's capital city of Madrid where 60 people were said to be infected, according to the ministry.

The current Zika outbreak started in Brazil in the spring of 2015. It has since spread across Latin America, with cases having been reported in several European countries and the United States.

The virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which is common in tropical areas of the Americas. Zika poses little threat to the general population, although evidence suggests men can transmit the virus to sexual partners after long exposure and long after any symptoms disappear.

Zika does not cause serious complications in adults, but is suspected of leading to severe brain defects and cases of microcephaly in newborns. In July, Europe has seen the first child born with Zika-induced microcephaly in a hospital in Spanish city of Barcelona.