Taiwan News
Date: 2016-09-30
By: Wendy Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Thailand on Friday confirmed two cases of Zika-linked microcephaly, a condition in which babies are 
born with small heads.
This is the first time in Southeast Asia that such birth defect had been linked to Zika virus infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health authorities in Thailand had been investigating four cases of microcephaly, including three new born babies and a 36-week unborn baby, and on Wednesday ruled out Zika as the cause of two of them.
The Southeast Asian nation has one of the highest numbers of Zika cases across the region. So far, 349 Zika cases have been confirmed since January, including 22 pregnant women, while Singapore has recorded 393 cases, with 16 of which being pregnant women.
The WHO has shown increasing concern over the spread of the mosquito-borne virus in Southeast Asia, which could affect local populations in the area. [FULL STORY]
